Koichiro Ikebuchi believes that to understand the person he is today, one must travel back in time to his early childhood years. Born in Osaka in 1965, he lived with his grandparents and uncle’s family in a house located near Umeda, in the centre of Osaka City.

Mr Ikebuchi recalls, “It was a very special house. There was a large steel gate, a small koi pond and a small factory behind the house. The style was a mixture of Japanese Traditional and Taisyo Modern. I lived there until I was six years old, and I feel that was a very important period in establishing the present me. I still remember the nice combination of the separate bathroom, the smell of the wet wooden bathtub, the soft light thrown on the sandblasted glass window, and the burning sound of the wood block in the kiln outside the bathroom.”

At the age of six, he moved to Nara, the old capital of Japan. Says Mr Ikebuchi, “There was a river, farms and Tosho Daiji, a 1,250-year old temple, near my house. It was completely different from Osaka. There, I started to learn painting, and found what I loved.” Subsequently, Mr Ikebuchi and his family moved to many different places in Japan due to his father’s job. These relocations exposed him to different cultures, architectures and lifestyles.

In 1983, Mr Ikebuchi was admitted to the Osaka Institute of Technology. There, he says, he “chose architecture instead of art, thinking that it would be difficult to earn a living as an artist. One day, I came across a red Italian sofa in a book at the school library. I had found my second love – product design.”

Following his heart, Mr Ikebuchi joined an interior and furniture company after finishing school. However, he says, he was “very disappointed”. To keep up his passion for design, he spent time attending seminars by famous architects and designers such as Aldo Rossi and Andrée Putman, and tried to participate in design competitions. Mr Ikebuchi clinched the First Prize for Design from Saporiti Italia, the Grand Prize for Diamonds International Awards organised by De Beers, and the Grand Prize for Jewellery Creative Contest in Japan.

In 1989, when Mr Ikebuchi’s boss learnt of his plan to resign and move to an overseas design office, the company offered him a transfer to their Singapore office. After several years of working in Singapore, Mr Ikebuchi returned to Japan in 1993. It was not long before Mr Ikebuchi returned to Singapore, this time in 1995, to start his own company. In 2004, Atelier Ikebuchi Pte Ltd was set up.

Mr Ikebuchi takes a historical view of the importance of design. He says, “Design is important because it is a part of civilisation. Babylonia was designed by 1800 BC. The chair has existed since 3000 BC.” In his perspective, “A good design is one that we can love and appreciate for a long time.”

His design philosophy, he says, lies in following his heart. “Feeling with one’s heart is more important than knowing with one’s brain.” He cites his love of drawing to explain why he entered the field of design. Says Mr Ikebuchi, “I have always loved to draw since my childhood. If I was given the opportunity to have a next life, I would like to be an artist, like a sculptor or a painter.” He draws inspiration from “nature, people and unconscious memories”. Among his influences are Chillida, Cy Twombly, Tapio Wirkkala, and many others.

Mr Ikebuchi thinks that the driving force behind his success is, simply, a passion for design. Therein lies a lesson for younger designers who look to him as a role model. Says Mr Ikebuchi, “Being hungry for good design is fundamental. If you are hungry, you will definitely do something, as you can’t wait to die.”

In Mr Ikebuchi’s view, the fact that “no two designers are the same” already sets him apart from other designers. In addition, a designer who is honest and true to himself will be unique and therefore stand out from the competition.

On his approach to innovation, Mr Ikebuchi explains,

“I always try to find the best answer for each project, and innovation will appear in the result … I think the will is very important in order to find a good answer, and sometimes only a good answer has useful innovation.”

He notes that Singapore’s presence on the international design scene is growing. “Many world-renowned talents have been working here, which is a good stimulus for all of us. It is definitely a good experience to be exposed at the international level.”

On being conferred the President’s Design Award, Mr Ikebuchi is modest. He says, “The honour is more than I deserve.”