Designer
ARTIST PROFILE
Kenji Koga ( artist, creative director, product designer) Born in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. Currently resides in Tokyo, Japan. Started his artistic career in New York in 1974. In 1993 his collage-stamp masterpiece, “Symbol of Peace” was the first Japanese stamp selected for inclusion in the permanent stamp collection of United Nations headquarters. His stamp design was also selected by the UN Stamp Design Committee as the commemorative stamp of “The United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction” held at the UN in 1994. In 1995, the UN commemorative stamps utilizing three drawings by Koga and one collage work created by Koga were issued by the UN Postal Administration offices in New York, Geneva, and Vienna.
1981: Established a design firm “C.Y.A Inc.”
1993: Six silkscreen pieces and two original drawings named “Symbol of Peace” were stored permanently at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Established U.S.A.-Japan Earth Access Committee, a UNHCR’s supportive NGO
Started refugee aid activities in New York and Tokyo
Won the commemorative stamp competition for “10-Year of Disaster Reduction” which is the UN’s theme of the last decade of the 20th century
Held an exhibition at New York Art Directors Club.
1995:
Held an exhibition in the gallery space of MetLife Inc. in New York
The commemorative stamps for “10-Year of Disaster Reduction” were released by UN offices in New York, Geneva and Vienna.
Released one set of music CDs for the refugees of the Great Hanshin Earthquake from Polydor Records with the support of Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Charles Lloyd and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Organized a charity concert for 6,000 refugees, high school students and college students who were victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
1996
Held an exhibition at Isetan Department Store in Tokyo
1997
Held an exhibition at Mikimoto Jewelry Art Gallery in Tokyo
1998 Invited Robert Kennedy II, the son of Robert Kenney, the brother of the late John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States and held a conference on the environment in Kyoto
1999
Conducted an activity for the animals and plants in danger of extinction at San Ignacio Lagoon in Mexico with U.S.A.-Japan Earth Access Committee, Robert Kennedy Jr., Natural Resources Defense Council, the biggest Environmental NGO, and world-famous mathematicians.
2000
The result of his environment- enhancement activities in 1998 was introduced by the New York Times
Attended International Water Conference in Nies
Organized the 50th anniversary concert for UNHCR
Invited Max Roach who is the god of Jazz and also a US civil rights activist to Japan
