About the Koji Kinutani Art Award
The Koji Kinutani Art Award is an initiative born from the vision of Koji Kinutani, a Western-style painter who was awarded the Order of Culture in 2021. This program is designed to support emerging painters. Our aim is to foster the development of young artists who will shape the future of art, provide crucial support for their artistic endeavors, and contribute to the continued growth and vitality of the art world. Through this award, we aspire to create a lasting impact on the artistic landscape, nurturing talent that will drive innovation and excellence in the field of fine arts.
Official Web Site：Koji Kinutani Art Award
Koji Kinutani Art Award (Co-sponsored by Sankei Shimbun)
| 2023 | 1st | Grand Prize Encouragement Award | Aki Kondo Maki Ohkojima | |
| 2024 | 2nd | Grand Prize Encouragement Award | Satoshi Kawata Kanji Yuimisashi | |
| 2025 | 3rd | Grand Prize Encouragement Award Special Jury Prize | Yuriko Asano Shinobu Daito Haruka Matsumoto |
Award Overview
| Title | The 3rd Koji Kinutani Art Award Exploring the Possibilities of Two-Dimensional Painting – Discovering Emerging Artists of the Next Generation! |
| Sponsors | Koji Kinutani Art Award Executive Committee Sankei Shimbun Koji Kinutani Art Foundation |
| Co-sponsor | Charm Care Corporation |
| Cooperation | Sakura Color Products Corporation MIKI HOUSE |
| Selection process | The award committee requests nominations from selected recommenders (including curators from national museums, university professors, art professionals, and journalists) across Japan. Each recommender nominates one artist. Based on these nominations, a preliminary screening is conducted. From this, several candidates are selected for the final round, where one Grand Prize winner, one Encouragement Award winner, and one Special Jury Prize winner are chosen. |
| Eligibility | ・Artists aged 40 or under (as of January 1, 2025) ・Open to all nationalities, but limited to residents of Japan ・Must have exhibited two-dimensional painting works |
| Awards | Grand Prize (1 recipient): 1,000,000 yen and additional prize Encouragement Award (1 recipient): 500,000 yen and additional prize Special Jury Prize (1 recipient): 300,000 yen and additional prize |
| Judges | Atsuhiko Shima Akira Tatehata |
Koji Kinutani Prize (Sponsored by Mainichi Newspapers)
The Koji Kinutani Prize (Sponsored by Mainichi Newspapers) was held a total of 10 times over the 10-year period from 2009 to 2018. It is the predecessor to the current Koji Kinutani Art Award (Co-sponsored by Sankei Shimbun).
| 2009 | 1st | Koji Kinutani Prize Koji Kinutani Encouragement Award | Daisuke Fukunaga Natsuko Sakamoto | “touch gys” “Overflow” |
| 2010 | 2nd | Koji Kinutani Prize Koji Kinutani Encouragement Award | Yuka Ohtani Sakae Ozawa | “Kuroihon – Dialogue of Flower Colors” “The World Becomes a Dream, and the Dream Becomes the World” |
| 2011 | 3rd | Koji Kinutani Prize Koji Kinutani Encouragement Award | Toru Kuwakubo Nanako Nishida | “Shared Studio” “niwa / In Kyoto” |
| 2012 | 4th | Koji Kinutani Prize Koji Kinutani Encouragement Award | Yasuka Goto Nahoko Sashida | “Full-Scale Floor Writing” “Slightly Tipsy” |
| 2013 | 5th | Koji Kinutani Prize Koji Kinutani Encouragement Award | Aya Hashizume Kei Imazu | 「Flora」 「Olive,Gray,Yellow」 |
| 2014 | 6th | Koji Kinutani Prize Koji Kinutani Encouragement Award | Kohei Yamashita Takehiro Terabayashi | “Carrot” “Box” |
| 2015 | 7th | Koji Kinutani Prize Koji Kinutani Encouragement Award | Natsuko Tanihara Tomoko Hisamatsu | “How Will You Atone for Your Sins” “Burying Japanese Art” |
| 2016 | 8th | Koji Kinutani Prize Koji Kinutani Encouragement Award | Kensuke Kashiwagi Nami Yokoyama | “No, That’s Not Possible” “Accepting an Inescapable Fate” |
| 2017 | 9th | Koji Kinutani Prize Koji Kinutani Encouragement Award | Yu Nishimura Sabrina Horak | “scenery passing” “Vision” |
| 2018 | 10th | Koji Kinutani Prize Koji Kinutani Encouragement Award | Yuasa Eboshi Aya Morita | “Female Worker No.4” “The Last Supper – Jesus’ Hands” |