Celebrating a Grand Prix Victory at the Louvre Museum
Hinz Pak, with the design “Mona Lisa’s Onigiri,” has won the Grand Prix in the Uniqlo UT Grand Prix (UTGP) 2024 T-shirt design competition. Selected from over 10,000 global submissions, this piece blends iconic art with everyday life, bringing the essence of the Louvre Museum to Uniqlo’s exclusive T-shirt collection.
Design concept: Mona Lisa’s Onigiri
The idea behind “Mona Lisa’s Onigiri” is rooted in my belief that art, much like our regular meals, thrives in its simplicity and integrates into our everyday lives. In this graphic design, I reimagine the iconic pyramid structure of the Louvre Museum into an Onigiri, to communicate the message and to remind people that artwork is like everyday food — simple, delicious, and nutritious.
Visualizing Mona Lisa in another parallel universe offers a curious perspective on art’s accessibility: it becomes a feast for our eyes, making artistic expression more creative, approachable, and even ‘delicious’ for everyone! It is a humorous take on the intersection of the Louvre and our everyday joy of a tasty onigiri.
I learn about the Mona Lisa before learning art. She is the best piece for everyone to start their art journey. After working in the art and design field for so many years, I think art is as important as food.
Color Scheme: Edible Japanese Colors
The color palette draws inspiration from my favorite Japanese foods, incorporating edible hues from daily cuisine:
- 明太子 Mentaiko (Pale orange)
- 鳴門巻き Narutomaki (Pink)
- わさび Wasabi (Green)
- 玉子焼き Tamagoyaki (Yellow)
- 鮪の刺身 Tuna (Red)
- 巨峰 Kyoho grapes (Purple)
- かき氷 Kakigori (Jade-blue)
Award Ceremony and Pop-Up Store at the Louvre
The UTGP 2024 Award Ceremony took place on April 30 at the Louvre Museum in Paris. From May 2 to August 31, 2024, a special Uniqlo pop-up store within the Louvre offers the winning UTGP 2024 T-shirts and a Louvre Museum-themed collection from the UT archive.
Designing T-shirts has always been my passion. The collaboration between Uniqlo and the Louvre Museum through UTGP 2024 provides a global platform to make art universally accessible. It’s a remarkable opportunity to reimagine the Louvre’s collections into new, wearable exhibits, showcased in Uniqlo stores worldwide. Art should transcend traditional boundaries and be embraced by all, becoming a part of everyday life.
About the Uniqlo UTGP 2024
The Uniqlo UT Grand Prix (UTGP), launched in 2005, invites artists worldwide to create wearable art. The 2024 theme, “Discoveries of the Louvre,” challenged designers to reinterpret the Louvre Museum’s iconic masterpieces. My winning design is part of the Spring/Summer 2024 UT collection, bringing art to Uniqlo’s global audience.
- Availability: T-shirts available at Uniqlo stores world-wide and Louvre pop-up after August 31, 2024.
- Competition: Uniqlo UTGP 2024, in partnership with the Louvre.
- Theme: Discoveries of the Louvre.
- Entries: Over 10,000 submissions worldwide.
“Mona Lisa’s Onigiri is selected as the Grand Prix Award of UTGP 2024 T-shirt design competition. ありがとうございます Uniqlo, Merci Louvre. I’m more than happy to see my design come to life. I believe printing all 9 winning UT Grand Prix designs from the global competition is perhaps the simplest way to spread art and creativity.” – Hinz
Links
News / PR
UNIQLO 攜手羅浮宮正式推出全新系列「UTGP2024:The Louvre」最終 Grand Prix 由來自香港的 Hinz Pak 雀屏中選 | hypebeast.com/hk/2024/5/uniqlo-utgp2024the-louvre-musee-du-louvre-collection-design-competition-info
【オシャレ】ユニクロ「UT」、ルーヴル美術館をテーマにデザイン募集のUTグランプリ。受賞9作品を決定&商品化 | www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Cobs_2760372
ユニクロ「ルーヴル美術館 UT」が増産決定、発売日を2週間後ろ倒しに |
www.fashionsnap.com/article/2024-05-22/uniqlo-utgp2024
1万件の応募！「ユニクロ」Tシャツのデザインコンペ。ルーブル美術館をテーマに大賞は… | oceans.tokyo.jp/article/detail/46964
大反響のユニクロ「ルーヴル美術館 UT」が発売間近！名作を表現したカラフル＆ユニークなTシャツはGET必須 | news.ameba.jp/entry/20240623-60495263
Uniqlo Stages Prize Ceremony at the Louvre for Its T-shirt Design Contest. Judges included Sarah Andelman and India Mahdavi | wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/uniqlo-t-shirt-competition-winners-louvre-museum-1236349219
Uniqlo Stages Prize Ceremony at the Louvre for Its T-shirt Design Contest. Judges included Sarah Andelman and India MahdavUT Grand Prix 2024 Awards Ceremony Held at the Louvre Special UT Pop-Up Store also opens in the world’s most-famous art museum | uniqlo.com/eu/en/news/topics/2024071802/
