Mori Art Museum to Open Solo Exhibition for Mori Art Award Grand Prize Winner Katayama Mari on October 31, 2026
The Facts
The Mori Contemporary Art Foundation (MoriCAF) and Mori Art Museum in Tokyo will present an exhibition of work by Katayama Mari, winner of the inaugural Mori Art Award Grand Prize, from October 31, 2026, to March 28, 2027. The biennial award, established in May 2025, targets mid-career Japanese artists or those with strong ties to Japan. A Japan-based Nomination Committee creates a shortlist based on exhibitions from the previous two years, and an International Jury selects four finalists before choosing the Grand Prize winner after an in-person review. The Grand Prize includes ¥10 million and a solo exhibition co-organized by MoriCAF and the museum; the three other finalists receive ¥1 million each. The International Jury praised Katayama for expanding the boundaries of her body through analogue photography and handicraft practices such as embroidery and needlework. The exhibition will feature an installation including her "tree of life" series (2024-), which is now in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and was a key factor in her selection.
The Signal
The Mori Art Award, launched by the Mori Contemporary Art Foundation, positions itself as a significant new prize for mid-career Japanese artists, offering both substantial prize money and a high-profile institutional solo exhibition. Katayama Mari's selection, with her work already entering the V&A collection, signals a focus on artists who blend traditional craft techniques with contemporary conceptual frameworks. For collectors, the award creates a new benchmark for mid-career Japanese artists, potentially elevating market interest in the finalists and winner. The concurrent exhibition at Mori Art Museum ensures strong institutional backing and international visibility for the award's inaugural recipient.
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- Artists: Katayama Mari
- People: Tokuyama Hirokazu
- Galleries: Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve, Yutaka Kikutake Gallery
- Museums: Mori Art Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum
- Locations: Tokyo
- Prices: ¥10 million, ¥1 million
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