Katayama Mari Wins Mori Art Award Grand Prize; Solo Exhibition Opens Oct 31 at Mori Art Museum
The Facts
The Mori Contemporary Art Foundation and Mori Art Museum will open the Mori Art Award 2026 Grand Prize Exhibition featuring Katayama Mari on October 31, 2026, running through March 28, 2027. Katayama was selected as the inaugural Grand Prize winner of the biennial Mori Art Award, established in May 2025, receiving ¥10 million and a solo exhibition co-organized by the foundation and museum. Three other finalists each receive ¥1 million. The International Jury praised Katayama's work for expanding the boundaries of her own body through analogue photography and handicraft practices such as embroidery and needlework. The exhibition will include her 'tree of life' series (2024-), now part of the Victoria & Albert Museum collection in London.
The Signal
The new award targets mid-career Japanese artists or those with strong ties to Japan, with a nomination committee shortlisting candidates based on exhibitions from the previous two years. Katayama's selection underscores a growing institutional focus on hybrid practices that merge photography with traditional craft. The exhibition runs concurrently with another show at Mori Art Museum, and admission is included with that exhibition's ticket. The award signals sustained investment in Japanese contemporary art by the Mori group, with the Grand Prize providing significant financial support and a major platform for the winner.
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- Artists: Katayama Mari
- People: Tokuyama Hirokazu
- Galleries: Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve, Paris, Yutaka Kikutake Gallery, Tokyo
- Museums: Mori Art Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum
- Locations: Tokyo
- Prices: ¥10 million, ¥1 million
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