The Facts
Mori Art Museum in Tokyo will present the Mori Art Award 2026 Grand Prize Exhibition featuring Katayama Mari from Saturday, October 31, 2026, to Sunday, March 28, 2027. The solo exhibition is the prize for winning the inaugural Grand Prize of the biennial Mori Art Award, established in May 2025 by the Mori Contemporary Art Foundation (MoriCAF). Katayama receives ¥10 million, while three other finalists each receive ¥1 million. The exhibition, curated by senior curator Tokuyama Hirokazu, will be held in the Small Exhibition Gallery and will include her 'tree of life' series (2024-), which entered the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and was cited as key to her selection. The International Jury praised Katayama for expanding the boundaries of her own body through analogue photography and handicraft practices such as embroidery and needlework.
The Signal
The award represents a significant institutional push to elevate mid-career Japanese artists onto the global stage. Katayama, born in 1987 and based in Gunma, combines sewing, self-portraiture, video, and installation to question social norms around nature and artifice—a material-driven approach that stands apart from digital trends. For collectors, the Victoria & Albert acquisition provides a clear institutional validation, while the MoriCAF's ¥10 million prize signals a sustained commitment to contemporary Japanese practice. The exhibition runs concurrently with another major show at the museum, offering added draw for international visitors.
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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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