YusakuImamura
Director of Tokyo Wonder Site
Director, Tokyo Wonder Site

Now in its 10th year, it has steadily established itself as a gateway to success for young Artist. Every year, I meet new talents and see the trends of the times. I hope that this award will serve as an opportunity for him to play a deeper and broader role.

With this year marking the 10th anniversary of its inception, this event is gaining increasing recognition as one of the major pathways a young artist looking to kick-start a successful career may take. This annual event not only exposes us to amazing new talent, it provides a platform for assessing trends over time. I hope that the young artists are able to use the awards they won at this event as a springboard for continuously pursuing the creation of artworks with deeper implications. I also expect that they will be widely recognized by audiences all around the world.

ErikoKimura
Chief Curator Yokohama Museum of Art
Chief Curator, Yokohama Museum

I was once again conscious of the current trends in Japan, as there are many artists who face their personal issues seriously and approach their creations with a serious attitude. When what was originally a plan becomes an actual exhibit, I hope that it will be a powerful expression that resonates with a wide range of people overseas, and that it will take a leap forward that stirs the imagination.

I was impressed to see so many artists deeply committed to personal themes and was convinced that young Japanese artists' attitude toward their artwork has grown extremely serious. Having examined exhibition plans artists have submitted to us, I expect that the actual exhibition will have an even more powerful impact on and resonate within the hearts of audiences around the world. I also hope the exhibition will help artists create bold and ambitious artworks that stimulate our imagination.

ShigeoGoto
Editor, Creative Director, Kyoto University of Art and Design Professor
Editor, Creative Director, Professor, Kyoto University of Art and Design

Particularly good are works that have a strong physical feel. Uncertain thoughts, unknown memories, things that the body is searching for aimlessly. Not a concept or visual pleasure, but a journey of groping. As a result, the work is rich. I thought it was amazing that there were so many fruits in a fulfilling daily life where it was unclear whether I was alive or dead.

Among the pieces selected, I highly commend a number of impactful pieces that focused on the textures of the materials used. Among works leaving strong impressions, were pieces expressing uncertainty and the volatility of memory. Feeling their way forward to communicate that which is almost impossible to communicate through the physical senses, the creators of these pieces seem to reject conventional artistic concepts. Neither are they content to simply present pieces that are pleasing to the eye. In my opinion, this kind of daring creates outstanding artwork. I welcome these surprising fruits of the labors of these students, who, as members of the latest generation of modern-day society, contend with a culture in which people feel uncertain about the authenticity of their lives.

TomioKoyama
Representative of Tomio Koyama Gallery, Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Faculty of Global Japanese Studies, Meiji University
Director, Tomio Koyama Gallery, and Associate Professor,
School of global Japanese Studies, Meiji University

This year's work Category were rich in variety. There are many dynamic works, and I think we will be able to create a powerful and attractive exhibition. We hope that this year will be a good opportunity for young Artist' endeavors to appeal to many people.

This year, we examined pieces in a wide variety of art genres. Boasting a lineup of highly dynamic works, the exhibition is sure to become a feature attraction and to leaves a powerful impression on visitors. I wish to see an even larger number of people to join us and get to know about exciting young artists seriously seeking new forms of artistic expression.

AkiyaTakahashi
Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo Director
Director, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo

With the move of Venue to Marcube, I felt that more three-dimensional works were nominated than before. It is very good that Category is expanding, including anime, but it is difficult to get used to the format of exhibitions, and the state of the video field gives the impression of being scattered. It may be an issue for the future.

I felt that the recent relocation of the venue to MARUCUBE has resulted in an increase in the number of three-dimensional pieces being selected. While this exhibition has successfully become a platform encompassing even wider genres, including animation, I noticed that outstanding pieces were relatively scarce in the field of audiovisual arts. I suspect that a conventional form of exhibition is not suitable for this type of artwork. We might have to take on challenge of assisting artists in such fields.

AkiraTatehata
President of Tama Art University, Director of the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama
President, Tama Art University, and Director,
The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama

The most primary site for discovering new talent is undoubtedly the graduation exhibition at an art university. The judging process, in which the works of new artists selected from these works are exhibited together and the various awards are selected, is unique in that the scope of the research is wide-ranging. I look forward to seeing more Artist take off from this exhibition.

A graduation exhibition of work from art universities provides us with a perfect venue for discovering new talents. Our screening process, in which we review pieces created by selected artists to determine who deserves commendation, is unique in that it takes into account a wide breadth of viewpoints. I hope to see these up-and-coming artists succeed in the future.

Reiichi Noguchi​
Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo Head of Curatorial Group
Chief Curator, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo

It was not the mastery of the technique, nor the perfection or sense of style that was evaluated. We wanted to see how much each of them could develop in the future. I think that is the future potential of artists. I would like to see a mysterious work that lowers its weight into unknown depths.

During the screening process, it does not matter to me how mature or perfected in their techniques applicants are. Nor do I care about how sophisticated their artistic tastes may be. Rather, my focus is on assessing the future potential of the themes they have chosen to explore. I think the future viability of an artist’s chosen theme will determine how far the artist will advance in their pursuit of mastery of their craft. Going forward, I would rather hope to encounter more adventurous, or even more thought-provoking, pieces of art, with the creators as courageous as divers who dare to plumb the depths of unknown seas.