Photo Credit: Kohei Omachi
Living Architecture: Talk by Architect Sejima Kazuyo
建築家 妹島和世トーク
Photo Credit: Kohei Omachi
Join architect Sejima Kazuyo in a special talk at Japan House London and enjoy a special visit to our upcoming exhibition ‘Symbiosis: Living Island’ in the Gallery on the Lower Ground Floor.
Sejima Kazuyo is the co-founder of the Tokyo-based architectural firm SANAA and is known as the international architect who was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize with Nishizawa Ryūe in 2010. SANAA has designed many highly acclaimed buildings including the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan, the New Museum, New York, USA, the Louvre-Lens, France and the Rolex Learning Center, Switzerland.
Alongside her work on large-scale projects around the world, Sejima Kazuyo has also been working as the architect for the Inujima ‘Art House Project’, located on the island of Inujima in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, since 2010. Comprising of five galleries (‘art houses’) for art installations, various other facilities for workshops, seminars and special overnight stays, a bar and a botanical garden, this project plays a part in enriching the lives of the island’s tiny dwindling population and visitors alike, creating an art-based ecosystem and a vision of Inujima as a living entity.
Prior to the opening of the public opening of this exhibition, this event, moderated by Japan House London's Programming Director Simon Wright presents the opportunity for guests to discover Sejima Kazuyo’s significant architectural work in Japan and abroad, and ask questions directly to her. After the event, guests will also be able to enjoy a special preview of the exhibition until 14:00.
About the Speaker
Sejima Kazuyo was born in Ibaraki Prefecture in central Japan. Graduating with a master’s degree in Architecture from Japan Women’s University in 1981, she set up her own practice in 1987 with the name Kazuyo Sejima & Associates.Sejima’s work soon earned national recognition, gaining her the award of Young Architect of the Year from the Japanese Institute of Architects in 1992. In 1995 together with Nishizawa Ryūe, she founded SANAA. In 2010 Sejima was appointed director of the 12th International Architecture Exhibition of Venice Biennale. Her honours include the Japan Architecture Award, Venice Biennale Golden Lion Award, Rolf Schock Prize, Pritzker Architecture Prize, Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Letters, and Medal with Purple Ribbon. She is currently a professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan, and teaches at Japan Women’s University and Osaka University of Arts as a visiting professor. SANAA’s main works include the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, the Rolex Learning Center (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne), and the Louvre-Lens.
