Daiwa Foundation Art Prize
The Daiwa Foundation Art Prize offers a British artist a first solo show at a gallery in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to an exhibition, the winning artist will be given a period of support and introductions to key individuals and organisations in the Japanese contemporary art world. The winning artist is also awarded a participation fee of £5000.
The prize is open to British artists resident in the UK who have not previously had a solo exhibition in Japan. Artists applying for the prize are required to submit documentation of four recent works, in any medium (including painting, photography, drawing, sculpture, installation, video etc), a supporting CV and personal statement. The judging panel select a short list of three artists. Works by all three of the short list are exhibited at the Daiwa Foundation Japan House Gallery and a winner is announced later that year.
Daiwa Foundation Art Prize 2012 – Shortlist Announced
The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation is delighted to announce the three artists shortlisted for the Daiwa Foundation Art Prize 2012: Jennifer E. Price, Tom Hammick and Haroon Mirza. The shortlisted artists will exhibit their work at Daiwa Foundation Japan House in June 2012 during which time one artist will be selected as the winner and will be invited to Scai the Bathhouse in Tokyo in Autumn 2012.
Just over 700 artists submitted work for consideration this year by the distinguished panel of judges: Jonathan Watkins, Director of Ikon Gallery, Birmingham; Mami Kataoka, Chief Curator at the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Masami Shiraishi, President, Scai the Bathhouse, Tokyo; Martin Gayford, art critic and author; and Grayson Perry, artist and 2003 Turner Prize winner.
This is the second Daiwa Foundation Art Prize. In its inaugural year Marcus Coates was awarded the First Prize of a solo exhibition at the Tomio Koyama Gallery in Tokyo. The Prize, which is open to British artists resident in the UK, offers artists a unique opportunity to gain an insight into Japan’s visual art sector. The winner is awarded a £5,000 participation fee plus travel and accommodation costs for a seven-day period in Japan to coincide with the opening of the exhibition. During this period support and introductions to key individuals and organisations in the Japanese contemporary art world will be arranged.
The Shortlisted Artists:
Jennifer E. Price studied Printmaking at the University for the Creative Arts (2009) and has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions, most recently at the Hatton Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, as part of International Print Biennale’s 2011 Print Awards. She lives and works in Kent. In her artwork Price harnesses basic and traditional printmaking methods, and then stands them on their head, resulting in cross boundaries of printmaking, drawing, sculpture, site-based installation, and public intervention. The work addresses complex layers of material culture and the role of the visual artist in a complicated age of media. (Artist’s website.)
Tom Hammick studied MA Printmaking at Camberwell College of Art (1990). He has exhibited internationally in group and solo exhibitions including recent solo shows at Flowers Gallery, London, The Eagle Gallery, London, and Gallery Page and Strange, Canada (all 2011). He is a Senior Lecturer in Fine Art, Painting and Print at the University of Brighton. He lives in East Sussex. Although Hammick’s work references the real world, it is largely concerned with a sense of metaphorical journeying. His paintings and prints are often developed from observed drawings, but during the process of making the work these sources undergo significant transformations. (Artist’s website.)
Haroon Mirza studied MA Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art & Design (2007). He was awarded the Northern Art Prize in 2010, and in 2011 has had a solo exhibition at the Lisson Gallery, London and participated in group exhibitions including Illuminations at the 54th Venice Biennale, Sum Parts at ACME Project Space, London and The British Art Show 7 at The Hayward Gallery, London. In his work, Mirza attempts to isolate the perceptual distinctions between noise, sound and music and explore the possibility of the visual and acoustic as one singular aesthetic form. These ideas are examined through lo-fi yet complex assemblages and installations that employ furniture, household electronics, video and existing artworks to formulate temporally based audio compositions. (Artist’s website.)
For more information on the 2012 Daiwa Foundation Art Prize please visit Parker Harris.
Daiwa Foundation Art Prize 2009 Winner - Marcus Coates
Marcus Coates 'The Plover's Wing' 2008, film (above)
The inaugural Daiwa Foundation Art Prize was awarded to the British artist, Marcus Coates, whose first solo exhibition in Japan was held at Tomio Koyama Gallery in Tokyo in November 2009.
The Prize-winner, Marcus Coates, exhibited the multi-screen video installation, Dawn Chorus, and the DVD, Intelligent Design. During his one-month stay in Japan, he was based at Tokyo Wondersite, took part in launch events at Tomio Koyama Gallery and at the British Embassy, and staged a performance at Roppongi Academy Hills.
“Winning the prize was fantastic, but spending time in Tokyo, exhibiting, performing and researching has proved to be invaluable. My immersion in Japanese culture and history has brought new and unforeseen influences to my work and the contacts I made through the Foundation have created opportunities in Japan. I will be returning to Tokyo later this year to exhibit and perform at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.” Marcus Coates, winner of the Daiwa Foundation Art Prize.
Coates’ film, installation and performance art focuses on the relationship between humans and other species. His work has received international acclaim, having exhibited extensively worldwide and shown as part of the ‘Altermodern’ Tate Triennial at Tate Britain.
The prize was a resounding success, with nearly 900 applicants from across the UK. The prize, as well as providing a unique opportunity for artists wanting to establish themselves overseas, helps to further consolidate Anglo-Japanese relations in the arts. The short listed artists, which include Adam Dant and Bedwyr Williams, exhibited their work at the Daiwa Foundation Japan House Gallery in London from 15th June until 17th July.
The 2009 Judging Panel
Jonathan Watkins (Chair), Director of Ikon Gallery, Birmingham.
Mami Kataoka: International curator who works with both The Hayward Gallery, London and Mori Art Museum, Tokyo.
Tomio Koyama: Owner of Tomio Koyama Gallery and collector of major Japanese and international artists.
Joanna Pitman: Art Critic for The Times and former Times correspondent in Japan.
Edmund de Waal: Artist potter, curator, writer and Professor of Ceramics at the University of Westminster.
‘Coates has emerged as an artist with a distinct and extraordinary vision. He is making work now which is better than ever.’ (Jonathan Watkins, judging panel 2009)
Jennifer E. Price, Soixante neuf, 2009/10
Tom Hammick, Blindout, 2011
Haroon Mirza, The national apavilion of then and now, 2011