Corporate News
08/19/2025
Roland DG Corporation
Roland DG’s UV Printer Captures Creativity of Winning Entries from MOLESKINE and Osaka University of Arts Joint Competition
Hamamatsu, Japan, August 19, 2025 – Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and printer/cutters worldwide, is pleased to announce its collaboration on the poster production of the top 10 works from the “Unleash Your Genius” art competition held by MOLESKINE and Osaka University of Arts.
“Unleash Your Genius” is a brand campaign launched by MOLESKINE, a lifestyle brand beloved by artists and creators around the world. The campaign is designed to inspire creativity by promoting the infinite possibilities of “pen and paper.”
The Japanese version of its campaign was in collaboration with Osaka University of Arts. Etsuzo Yamakado, visiting professor in the university’s Design Department, oversaw a special course in the first semester of 2025 in which students were encouraged to freely express the message “Unleash Your Genius” from their own perspectives. Twenty-three students from various courses in the Design Department took on the challenge from brainstorming ideas to creating works using MOLESKINE notebooks and pens. The art competition was promoted with a poster which included “picture your work” and MOLESKINE’s logo as well as “Unleash Your Genius.”
Roland DG cooperated on the poster production of the winning entries, including one Grand Prize winner, two Excellent Prize winners, and seven Encouragement Prize winners, for a total of ten works.
Display at the Italy Pavilion, EXPO2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan
A TrueVIS LG-640 UV inkjet printer was used for printing. The LG-640 produces not only vivid color printing, but gloss and matte finishes as well as embossed effects. Several different media types were used, including semi-gloss, pearl and Wa-shi, a Japanese traditional paper, etc., to express different feelings and finishes to the works to further add to their attractiveness. In addition, Roland DG invited Mr. Yamakado and five students wishing to participate to observe the operation of the UV printer and actual printing results at the Roland DG Creative Center in Osaka. The students discussed with Roland DG staff the disparity between their imagination and actual printed works and what special effects they wanted to apply to them.
Students meeting at the Roland DG Creative Center in Osaka
Mr. Yamakado emphasized the importance of engaging in real things. “With the rapid development of digital technology, anyone can easily reach any information with just the flick of a finger. For example, it is now possible to view famous artworks from overseas on the internet, but the information displayed on the screen is small and doesn’t allow you to grasp the whole picture. However, if you stand in front of the actual artwork, you can experience something special that appeals to the human senses, such as ‘being overwhelmed by its power,’ ’feeling its presence,’ or even ‘being moved more than you had imagined.’ Experiencing and feeling something real for ourselves is something we must cherish, especially in this digital age.”
Mr. Yamakado continued, “In this context, the ‘Unleash Your Genius’ project was very meaningful for the students. Composing the works by hand using pen and paper, enhancing the works by conveying their own imagination to someone at Roland DG, and then utilizing cutting-edge print technologies to create printed samples – these are precious experiences that unleash creative possibilities and expression.
The original posters of one Grand Prize winner and two Excellent Prize winners on which Roland DG cooperated are displayed at the Italy Pavilion in EXPO2025, Osaka Kansai and Japanese sites of the “Detour” exhibition by MOLESKINE and the MOLESKINE Foundation. Original posters for all ten works, including the above three, will also be displayed at MOLESKINE stores in Harajuku, Yokohama, and Kobe.
Roland DG will continue to create new ways of displaying and enjoying art using digital technology to provide people around the world with the wonder and joy of creativity, as well as the surprise and excitement that result from it.
Award Ceremony at “Detour Osaka”
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Professor, Etsuzo Yamakado, Grand Prize winner, Mizuki Kageshita
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Excellent Prize winners Nana Urakami and Kaede Iwasaki
MOLESKINE CEO Christophe Archaimbault and seven Encouragement Prize winners
Detour Overview
Detour Osaka
| Venue |
Italy Pavilion, EXPO2025, Osaka, Kansai Higashi 1 Cho-me, Yumeshima, Konohana-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 554-0044 |
|---|---|
| Period | Thursday, July 31 - Saturday, August 23, 2025 |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 22:00 |
Outline of display at MOLESKINE Stores
| Site |
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|---|---|
| Period: |
1. Thursday, August 14 - Sunday, August 24, 2025 2. Monday, August 25 - Friday, September 5, 2025 3. Saturday, September 6 - Sunday, September 14, 2025 4. Monday, September 15 - Tuesday, September 23, 2025 5. Wednesday, September 24 - Tuesday, September 30, 2025 |
*Only some of the winning works will be displayed.
*The winning works will be displayed at MOLESKINE stores according to the schedule listed in 1 to 5 above.
*The above schedule is subject to change.
About MOLESKINE
Moleskine® is a cultural brand whose history is deeply rooted in travel, personal identity, memory, and imagination. Heir of the legendary notebooks used by artists and thinkers over the past two centuries, today it designs objects and services such as notebooks, journals, bags, and apps, which encourage personal expression and help nurture our creative potential.
https://www.moleskine.com/en-us/
About “Detour”
The traveling exhibition features carefully selected works from the MOLESKINE Foundation's collection of over 1,600 notebook art pieces, curated to fit the context of each location. The notebooks on display have been donated by world-renowned artists, architects, filmmakers, designers, musicians, and writers, as well as students, cultural organizations, and young creators from around the world, bringing together diverse perspectives and expressions in one space. Detour previously toured London, Shanghai, Paris, New York, and Milan, and will now be held at the “EXPO2025, Osaka Kansai” and “21_21 DESIGN SIGHT” in Tokyo.
About Osaka University of Arts
Established in 1945, the university is the largest comprehensive arts university in Japan, upholding the five spirits of its foundation: through implementation of the spirit of freedom (Freedom), encouraging creativity (Creativity), differentiation for integration and pioneering frontier areas (frontiers), development from global perspective (Global) and emphasis on practical rationality (Practical). The university emphasizes practical education through a wide range of fields of study and opportunities across 15 departments and courses to participate in art exhibitions, stage performances, concerts, and industry-academia collaboration projects.
https://www.osaka-geidai.ac.jp/en
- For more information, contact:
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Roland DG Corporation
ESG & PR/IR Unit
+81 (0)53-484-1200
E-Mail：rdg-pr@rolanddg.co.jp
