Winners Announced for the 4th Tokyo University of the Arts 'AD Works Group Nihonga' Prize

The 'AD Works Group Nihonga Prize' (hereinafter 'this prize'), jointly established in December 2022 by Tokyo University of the Arts (Taito-ku, Tokyo; President: Katsuhiko Hibino; hereinafter 'Tokyo University of the Arts') and the AD Works Group (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Hideo Tanaka; hereinafter 'ADWG'), has announced the winners of its 4th edition following a review by the Tokyo University of the Arts Faculty of Fine Arts selection committee and final approval by its steering committee. A ceremony was held recently to mark the occasion.

The 4th prize winners are Mr. Daisuke Mukai and Mr. Kota Iwatani. Following the judging process, it was decided that both would be awarded the grand prize due to an equal standing.

■ Winner Comments
Grand Prize Winner: Mr. Daisuke Mukai
I am truly honored to receive such a prestigious award. I am very happy to receive this prize about three years after my graduation. Until now, I have focused not only on my own creative activities but also on spreading the appeal of Nihonga (Japanese-style painting). Moving forward, I would like to continue my studies and creative efforts while exploring the possibilities of painting, not limited to Nihonga.

Mr. Kota Iwatani
Thank you very much for this honorable award. I believe that Nihonga has developed through the techniques and expressions of many predecessors, while encompassing the seemingly contradictory elements of tradition and innovation. As a Nihonga painter, I hope to contribute to its future development.

■ Summary of Remarks by Kazuyuki Hashimoto, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts
For an artist, receiving an award is a gratifying opportunity to recognize that one's efforts thus far have not been in vain, and to take the next step forward based on that recognition. I hope that the two winners will work even harder on their creations and continue to bring wonderful works into the world, combining the traditional aspects of Nihonga with their own new techniques.

■ Summary of Remarks by Hideo Tanaka, President of AD Works Group
Thanks to everyone's support, we have reached our fourth award ceremony. I am relieved that we have been able to operate this smoothly.

I felt that both grand prize winners have deepened their research into Nihonga, sublimated it into their own creations, and radiate wonderful originality. I am very happy to have met these two individuals who will likely shoulder the development of Nihonga in the future. I sincerely hope that they will use this award as a stepping stone to spread their wings even further and carve a new page into the history of Nihonga.

[Mr. Daisuke Mukai]
Profile
Date of Birth: July 14, 1988
Education:
March 2012: Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, Nihonga major
March 2014: Completed Master's course at the university's Graduate School of Fine Arts, major in Conservation of Cultural Properties, field of Conservation and Restoration of Nihonga
March 2017: Completed doctoral program at the university's Graduate School of Fine Arts, major in Conservation of Cultural Properties, field of Conservation and Restoration of Nihonga

Major work: Exhibits in solo and group exhibitions, research on classical painting, and media activities.
Creative policy: Primarily using plants and birds as subjects, pursuing expression that blends contemporary sensibility centered on sketching with the formalized aesthetic sense seen in classical flower-and-bird painting.

[Mr. Kota Iwatani]
Profile
Date of Birth: December 22, 1989
Education:
March 2016: Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, Nihonga major
March 2018: Completed Master's course at the university's Graduate School of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, Nihonga research field
March 2021: Completed doctoral program at the university's Graduate School of Fine Arts, major in Fine Arts, Nihonga research field

Major work: Focused on presentations at the Japan Art Institute, and holds exhibitions at department stores and galleries nationwide.
Creative policy: Nihonga has always possessed a flexibility that accepts change while handling traditional painting materials. I create with the aim of researching and developing modern Nihonga, which encompasses the two incompatible elements of succession and innovation.

Reference: What is the Tokyo University of the Arts 'AD Works Group Nihonga' Prize?
[3 Characteristics]
1. Targeting up to age 39, with 2 years of continuous support: One grand prize and one special prize are selected through appropriate judging procedures from among those aged 39 or under who have graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts Faculty of Fine Arts or completed a graduate program and are continuously engaged in Nihonga creative activities. (The target is the 'person,' not the 'work'.) The grand prize receives 500,000 yen in prize money and 250,000 yen in activity support the following year; the special prize receives 300,000 yen and 150,000 yen respectively, supporting creation for two years. *As mentioned, this time both were awarded the grand prize, with each receiving 400,000 yen and 200,000 yen in support the following year.
2. Flexible definition of 'Nihonga': Defined as works created by individuals recommended by the Nihonga, Design, and Conservation/Restoration laboratories of the university's Graduate School of Fine Arts.
3. Exhibition at 'AD Works Group Nihonga Exhibition': Awardees are granted the right to exhibit at the exhibition, providing a venue for presentation in addition to financial support.

Why Nihonga?
ADWG's predecessor was a dyeing business co-founded by Eiichi Shibusawa (Aoki Dyeing Factory, 1886), which was involved in Japanese culture. In view of this history, the genre of Nihonga was chosen to contribute to the succession of Japanese cultural tradition.