In the five years since we launched Design Anthology, we’ve defined what we stand for and what our core philosophies are. Among them is our sincere ambition to create a platform for showcasing, celebrating, supporting and promoting original design in Asia and by Asian designers. And much like our motivation for starting Design Anthology magazine, we felt there remained an appetite for something different in the design awards landscape.

As an extension and evolution of the magazine, the Design Anthology Awards are an opportunity for us to be change agents in a more tangible way. For the awards to be truly meaningful, they required judges who are the best in their respective fields, with an even representation of genders and a balance of countries and regions. For the winners, we’ve chosen prizes we hope will benefit their careers in meaningful ways.

In addition to those prizes, together with our generous venue sponsor The Murray we’ve launched the Design Anthology Education Fund. This is a charity dedicated entirely to providing grants for design education in Hong Kong, and our hope is that in the future the grants will expand in size, scope and beyond the borders of Hong Kong. The awards and related events are the first of many fundraising platforms for the charity.

We’d like to extend our sincere gratitude to the judges, for their belief in our vision, but equally so for their time and commitment. The level of detail and rigour with which they assessed the shortlisted entries exceeded our highest expectations.

We’re also deeply grateful for the support of our sponsors, without whom the Design Anthology Awards would not have been possible, nor would they be the success we hoped for. 

And finally, thank you of course to the designers and nominators. The response was overwhelming and the entries of the highest calibre. To the finalists and winners, a resounding and heartfelt congratulations!

James Acuna

For more than a decade, James Acuna has worked on a range of lifestyle and workplace projects in Hong Kong, China and the wider Asian region, honing his skills at renowned firms Woods Bagot, Ronald Lu & Partners and LWK&Partners. In 2015, the designer founded JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio in Hong Kong and Manila, which specializes in bespoke designs for lifestyle-oriented clients.
 

SOURCE:Design Anthology