Six finalists to vie for the USD 20,000 Lexus design award

TOKYO, Japan – Lexus today announced the six finalists for the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021, selected by a distinguished jury from among 2,079 entries submitted by creators from 66 countries.

The winner will take home USD25,000. The six finalists are CY-BO by Kenji Abe (Japan)(Sustainable, reusable packaging material that can be assembled like cells); Heartfelt by Gayle Lee and Jessica Vea (New Zealand & Tonga, based in New Zealand), (A device that enables virtual hugs);  In Tempo by Alina Holovatiuk (Ukraine), Mitts that may help distract from stressful situations by novel usage of rhythm and music;  KnitX by Irmandy Wicaksono (Indonesia, based in USA), Digital 3D knitting of functional, electronic textiles for multi-modal visual, auditory, and tactile material interaction; Solar Desalination Skylight by Henry Glogau (Dual New Zealand & Austria, based in Denmark)Device that uses seawater to create natural diffused light, drinking water, and leftover salt for energy creation and Terracotta Valley Wind by Intsui Design (China, based in Japan)A terracotta evaporative cooling system for subway stations utilizing train-induced wind to function.

Four leading design experts will directly mentor the finalists, giving them a once-in-a lifetime experience as they prototype their ideas with a per-project budget capped at 3,000,000 yen (approx. $25,000 USD).

This year marks the ninth edition of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD, which was established to support up-and-coming creators. The program recognizes fresh design talent and showcases their innovations on a prominent and respected international platform. In selecting this year’s six finalists, judges looked for innovative ideas that embodied the three key principles of the Lexus brand―Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate―with an emphasis on design that leads to a better tomorrow.