Sangetsu Award Winner Announced for 'HERALBONY Art Prize 2026'

HERALBONY Art Prize 2026 - Sangetsu Award Title: Ie Ie (Houses) | Artist: Mai Murohara

◆Website: https://www.sangetsu.co.jp/information/detail/20260326140042.html

Sangetsu Corporation (Headquarters: Nagoya, Aichi; President: Yasumasa Kondo) has selected the winner of the "Sangetsu Award" as a corporate prize for the "HERALBONY Art Prize 2026," an international art award hosted by HERALBONY Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Morioka, Iwate; Co-CEOs: Takaya Matsuda, Fumito Matsuda). Sangetsu is participating in this award as a Gold Partner.

About the Artist and Work

Mai Murohara

Murohara has enjoyed drawing since childhood and majored in Japanese painting at a graduate school of art, completing her studies in 2013. After developing schizophrenia, she continued to create art at her own pace. She values the unique texture of mineral pigments and the raw texture of the washi paper left as negative space, working on her pieces over a long period. Houses and squares are motifs that have fascinated her since childhood due to their shapes and rhythms. Resonating with the simple and generous style of Otsu-e, which was beloved by the public in the Edo period, she says, "The world inside a painting can expand infinitely within the heart."

Reason for Selection and Our Vision

Mai Murohara's "Ie Ie" is a captivating work where soft, pale colors and the motif of "houses" make the viewer feel at peace. For over 170 years since our founding, Sangetsu has been dedicated to supporting the various spaces where people spend their time. As lifestyles and work styles diversify and the nature of space evolves, the colorful houses depicted in this work evoke not only warmth but also the joy and hope for the future of the people gathered there. This rich worldview resonates deeply with our brand statement, "Joy of Design," and our purpose, "To create spaces filled with peace and hope together with everyone," which led to its selection for the Sangetsu Award.

In pursuit of our dream—a world where everyone can talk about their dreams for tomorrow—we will continue to work on creating new innovations and social value through our business activities, including co-creation with the diverse sensibilities of artists.

About the "HERALBONY Art Prize"

The organizer, HERALBONY Co., Ltd., is a creative company with the mission of "Unleashing Your Exceptionality," aiming to transform perceptions of disability and create a new culture rooted in welfare. The HERALBONY Art Prize celebrates the brilliance of artists with disabilities...