The 56th Kanagawa Prefectural Art Exhibition, presented by Kanagawa Prefecture, a land of culture and art
The Kanagawa Prefectural Art Exhibition, which began in 1965 and is now in its 56th year, is one of the largest public art exhibitions in Japan.
Unfortunately, last year's event was canceled due to the spread of COVID-19, but this year it was held with thorough precautions in place.
This art exhibition, with its long history and proven track record, once again attracted many wonderful works from all over the country.
This art exhibition is highly regarded as a stepping stone for young artists, as many of the applicants who have won prizes have gone on to achieve great things. There are four categories for public entries: two-dimensional sculpture, crafts, calligraphy, and photography. We interviewed the four artists who won the grand prize in each category.
We hope to convey the thoughts of the award winners about their works and their passion for art, as they spoke passionately about them.
<<2D/3D Section>> Asako Ishizaki
Grand Prize Winning Work
Title: "Side view"
Congratulations on winning the Grand Prize. Please tell us frankly how you feel right now.
I was very surprised, very happy, and it gave me confidence in my work.
What made you decide to become an artist?
I like to use my hands, and I feel a sense of fulfillment in the time it takes to turn an idea into reality.
What made you decide to apply this time?
The work is made up of simple design elements that are difficult to convey in photographs, such as the surface treatment and balance of the layout, but I thought that since the judges would be able to see the actual work, it would be easier to convey my work.
Please tell us about the concept of the work and the thoughts you put into it while creating it.
As the title "Landscape from the Side" suggests, I created this piece with an awareness of the differences in how each surface looks when viewed from various angles. The images of ridges and overlapping that I sense when looking at a landscape are connected to the work.
Please tell us what you paid the most attention to and what you struggled with the most.
We paid particular attention to the casters attached to the base to convey the idea of mobility, and to the bending of the aluminum plate so that the appearance changes depending on the angle.
The L-shaped base was the most difficult part. In order to express the concept simply, it took a considerable amount of time to give the wood a smooth surface treatment.
What kind of activities do you want to pursue in the future, using this award as motivation? Please tell us about your outlook and future goals.
I would like to exhibit my work in various places!
In order to continue our creative activities, we will first work on creating an environment that is conducive to this.
Please give us a message for everyone who is aiming to apply next year!
Please treasure what you think is "good."
I look forward to seeing some interesting works.
Profile
Asako Ishizaki
□ Biography
Born in Tochigi Prefecture in 1996
2021 Graduated from Musashino Art University, Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Sculpture
Musashino Art University, Graduate School of Art and Design, Master's Program, Sculpture Course, 1st year
□Exhibition
2017 Group Exhibition "Musabi Art Site" (Musashi-Kokubunji Park, Tokyo)
2019 Group Exhibition "Kodaira Art Site Yorimichi Art 2019" (Kodaira City Central Park/Tokyo)
2020 Group exhibition "Delirium" (KOGANEl ART SPOT Chateau 2F / Tokyo)
2021 "Musashino Art University Graduation Exhibition 2020" (Musashino Art University Takanodai Campus/Tokyo)
2021 Two-person exhibition "Strap Hole" (Musashino Art University Takanodai Campus/Tokyo)
2021 "Musashino Art University Excellent Works Exhibition" (Musashino Art University Museum/Tokyo)
□Planning and Activities
2019: Planning and Executive Committee Chairman "Kodaira Art Site Yorimochi Geijutsu 2019" (Kodaira City Central Park/Tokyo)
2019: Planning and moderator, "Masao Shirakawa Talk Event: Art and Publicity, The Potential of Regional Art" (Kodaira City Central Park/Tokyo)
2020 Project "Delirium" (KOGANEl ART SPOT Chateau 2F/Tokyo)
2020 Project "Installation and Packaging Lecture" (Musashino Art University FAL/Tokyo)
2021 Talk event/presentation "Polyphonic Eating" (Musashino Art University Museum/Tokyo)
□Awards
2021: Received the Excellence Award at the Musashino Art University Graduation Exhibition
<Crafts Division> Ken Tanishiki
Grand Prize Winning Work
Title: "OLLIE IN" (wooden graining, special printing)
Congratulations on winning the Grand Prize. Please tell us frankly how you feel right now.
I was very grateful and happy. It was a new way of expression for me, so it has encouraged me to continue creating in the future.
What made you decide to become an artist?
There were several reasons for this, but I think it was because I wanted to convey to someone the emotions and imagination I felt.
What made you decide to apply this time?
I applied last time too and received a lot of feedback from people,
I applied again this year because, unusually for an art exhibition, the regulations on the size of works were very large, giving a high degree of freedom, and I really resonated with the accepting attitude.
Please tell us about the concept of the work and the thoughts you put into it while creating it.
In the midst of the unprecedented situation of the coronavirus pandemic, I wanted to turn this situation and experience into something positive, so I chose skateboarding as my motif, which has a perspective on overcoming obstacles and how to make use of those obstacles.
I feel that secondhand clothing is a material that contains spiritual elements such as memories and recollections, so I asked my acquaintances to donate old clothes that actual skaters could no longer wear, and created this piece with the hope that people would be able to feel the energy, courage, and sense of freedom that comes from using that spirituality and physicality to create obstacles for others.
Please tell us what you paid the most attention to and what you struggled with the most.
This can be said for all my works, but I always try to incorporate the secondhand clothes I receive into my work with care and attention. The hardest part was collecting socks (laughs).
Socks are seen as consumables and if they are in poor condition they will be thrown away immediately.
What kind of activities do you want to pursue in the future, using this award as motivation? Please tell us about your outlook and future goals.
My works involve real people, and cannot be completed by myself alone; the structure of the work changes greatly depending on the time axis and relationships. Rather than creating them alone, they are only completed with the help of real collaborators.
My motivation and theme for creating this work is proof of existence, so I would be extremely happy if this award helps me to connect with more people and get the cooperation of many people!
I also imagine that the work will make future generations realize that people like these existed hundreds of years ago, and my goal is to create works that are super durable and strong.
Please give us a message for everyone who is aiming to apply next year!
The Kanagawa Prefectural Art Exhibition has strict size regulations, and they are very accepting of what you want to express, including providing friendly advice during the exhibition, so I hope you will give it your all and give it your all.
Profile
Ken Yashiki
Born in Tokyo in 1983
□Major awards
December 2007: JFW JAPAN CREATION TEXTILE CONTEST 2008 Newcomer Award
September 2018: 25th Yuzawaya Creative Award Exhibition Grand Prize
January 2019: 1st Tagawa Art Biennale, Honorable Mention Award
March 2019, 54th Showakai Exhibition, Tokio Marine & Nichido Award
March 2019: 54th Showakai Exhibition New York Award
June 2019 ART OLYMPIA 2019 Excellence Award
July 2019: Selected for Kanagawa Prefectural Art Exhibition
February 2020: Selected for the FACE 2020 Sompo Japan Koa Art Award
September 2020 SICF21 Audience Award & Wacoal Study Hall Kyoto Encouragement Award
December 2020 UNKNOWN ASIA 2020 ePlus Award & Reviewer Award
<Calligraphy section> Yamaguchi Daimu
Grand Prize Winning Work
Title: "A Section from the Shu Su Journal of Mi Fu"
Congratulations on winning the Grand Prize. Please tell us frankly how you feel right now.
I am very grateful and happy.
I am filled with gratitude to my mentors who have guided me, my seniors in this field who support me on a daily basis, and my family.
What made you decide to become an artist?
When I was a child, I loved watching my calligraphy teacher's brush movements as he wrote in front of me, and I remember desperately following his hand with my eyes.
Rather than trying to imitate the model, I enjoyed trying to reproduce the comfortable movements.
Of course, no matter how much I wrote, I couldn't get any closer, but I learned that there are infinite ways to express calligraphy through movement.
Looking back now, I think that this initial interest led me to enjoy expressing myself, and I naturally followed this path.
What made you decide to apply this time?
Kanagawa is known as a place where calligraphy is thriving, and is home to many aspiring calligraphers.
It all started with my desire to exhibit at the historic Kanagawa Prefectural Art Exhibition and learn more.
Please tell us about the thoughts that went into creating this work.
Although the "alone time" caused by COVID-19 was lonely, calligraphy, which I could devote myself to in silence and with complete passion, allowed me to experience the joy of creating and reaffirm the joy of learning. Striving for an ideal is enjoyable, and I picked up my brush every day, looking toward a bright future.
Please tell us what you paid the most attention to and what you struggled with the most.
It was created using a typeface from the time of Qin Shi Huang.
This is called small seal script, and you may still see it on seals today. Although the characters are highly regular and restrictive, you can vary the strength of the lines and the speed of the brush strokes.
The ideal was to effortlessly combine the characteristics of "restraint" and "liberation."
What kind of activities do you want to pursue in the future, using this award as motivation? Please tell us about your outlook and future goals.
I currently work at Kawasaki Daishi Temple.
It has a long history and the rituals and etiquette remain unchanged to this day.
Regardless of the field, traditional culture has a radiant beauty that has been refined over a long period of time.
In the art of calligraphy, too, I would like to value the foundation and strive to reach a higher rank.
Our future goal is for this temple town associated with Kobo Daishi to become a "town of calligraphy" and convey the charm of handwriting to many people.
Please give us a message for everyone who is aiming to apply next year!
Kanagawa is rich in history and is connected to each region of the prefecture by culture and art.
We hope that through your works, the joy of creating and appreciating art will be shared with many people, and that the appeal of art will continue into the future.
Profile
Yamaguchi Taimu (Yamaguchi Time)
□ Biography
Born in Kagoshima Prefecture in 1987
Graduated from Daito Bunka University in 2009
Selected for the Nitten Exhibition 6 times
Yomiuri Shoho Association Director
Standing Director of Kenshin Calligraphy Association
Standing Director of the Kawasaki City Calligraphy Federation
<Photography Category> DONG YUEYING
(left)
(center)
(right)
Grand Prize Winning Work
Title: "Unnatural" 3-disc set
Congratulations on winning the Grand Prize. Please tell us frankly how you feel right now.
I was very happy and it gave me confidence.
What made you decide to become an artist?
After graduating from university, I was wondering what to study and what job to get, but when I saw an artist's work in a gallery, I thought maybe I should choose the path of an artist, so I followed my heart.
What made you decide to apply this time?
I first learned about it from my teacher during class and thought maybe I could exhibit my own work as well.
Please tell us about the concept of the work and the thoughts you put into it while creating it.
I want to explore the possibilities of photographic expression that combines digital technology and live action. I attempted a new form of expression by combining actual footage with digital technology. I used color elements to highlight the differences from real life. The concept is that if the everyday scenery suddenly changes, viewers will sense some kind of connection between "their own everyday life" and "the sense of difference," and will reconsider their own lives.
Please tell us what you paid the most attention to and what you struggled with the most.
Through my studies, I began to think about how environmental changes such as innovation and trends of thought relate to artistic expression, so I am focusing on digital technology such as CG, 3D processing, and color processing.
For me, the most difficult thing was learning how to use 3D and CG software. It took a long time to learn it from scratch.
What kind of activities do you want to pursue in the future, using this award as motivation? Please tell us about your outlook and future goals.
I was really struggling with whether to become a writer or look for work in the future. So I applied for this award and was selected, and after going through all of that, I felt like I had made up my mind that "after all, I want to continue working as a writer."
I realized that I want to continue creating art in the future. I want to become an artist who can expand the scope of my activities from Asia to the world.
Please give us a message for everyone who is aiming to apply next year!
Don't think too much about it, just give it a try
Profile
DONG YUEYING
□ Biography
2019 Graduated from Shanghai Visual Arts Academy, Department of Photography
2021: Enrolled in the Department of Interdisciplinary Arts at Tohoku University of Art and Design
You can watch a video of the 56th Kanagawa Prefectural Art Exhibition as an "online exhibition."
[Online Exhibition] https://www.kanagawa-kenbiten.com/
56th Kanagawa Prefectural Art Exhibition
[Date and Time] 1st Exhibition [2D & 3D] Wednesday, August 25th to Sunday, September 5th, 2021
Second Exhibition [Crafts, Calligraphy, Photography] September 8th (Wed) to September 19th (Sun), 2021
10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (until 2:00 PM on the last day of each period)
[Venue] Kanagawa Prefectural Hall Gallery
[Official website] https://www.kanagawa-kenbiten.com/
