The Chushin Art Encouragement Foundation (Chairman Makoto Shiranase) has announced the winners of the 33rd annual Kyoto Art and Culture Award.
*Kondo Takahiro (61 years old), in Ceramics: "With unique techniques and originality, he has produced a wide range of works and is active both in Japan and overseas."
Other winners include Akane Yamamoto in Kirikane glass and Aiko Miyanaga in Contemporary Art.
The presentation ceremony has been postponed due to the current global circumstances, and is scheduled for January 2021 at Kyoto Museum. The timing is being reconsidered as the situation develops.
About Kyoto Art Culture Award
Beginning with the first presentation in May 1988, the Kyoto Art Culture Award was created to recognize those who have made great achievements in improving the spiritual culture of Kyoto citizens through art creation activities. The honor also comes with a prize of 2 million yen. The prize is meaningful to artists and to Kyoto, as it signifies the flow of art in the city of Kyoto and inspires the development of art in this place. There are some remarkable achievements that follow to those artists who have received this award in the past: the first award winner, Fuku Akino, received the 1999 Order of Culture. Mr. Akira Kurosaki, who won the 7th prize, received the 2008 Order of the Sacred Treasure; Mr. Kosuke Kimura, who won the 9th prize, received the 2012 Order of the Sacred Treasure. Sayoko Eri, the 13th award winner, was the youngest person in history to be recognized as a Living National Treasure in 2002.
(1) Selection committee (honorific title omitted)
Minoru Otagaki (art critic)
Kozo Ushioe (art critic)
Motoaki Shinohara (Director, Takamatsu Art Museum)
Masaki Yanagihara (Director, National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto)
Reizeike Shigurete (President of Reizeike Shiguretei Bunko)
About the Chushin Art Encouragement Foundation
Etablished on April 1, 1987 to commemorate the achievement of 1 trillion yen in deposits at Kyoto Chuo Shinkin Bank (November 1986), the foundation encourages artistic and creative activities in Kyoto Prefecture. The purpose is to contribute to the improvement of the spiritual culture of the prefecture and of its citizens.
