100 Whites

Book excerpt: The world of white, from Muji art director Kenya Hara White not only plays an important role in Japanese cultures in general but also in the work of Kenya Hara, art director for Muji. In 100 Whites, Hara gives 100 examples of white, such as snow, Iceland, rice and wax. On the basis of these examples he discusses the importance of white in design--not only as a color but as a philosophy. Hara describes how he experiments with the different whites he instances, what they mean in the process of his work and how they influence design today. 100 Whites is the extension of Hara's previously published book White. The publication explores the essence of white, which Hara sees as symbolizing simplicity and subtlety. Kenya Hara (born 1958) is a Japanese graphic designer, a professor at the Musashino Art University and, since 2002, the art director for Muji. Hara has been awarded many prizes, such as the Japanese Cultural Design Award.