What is The Nippon Foundation DIVERSITY IN THE ARTS International Art Exhibition?
With a view to realizing an inclusive society in which everyone can participate, The Nippon Foundation DIVERSITY IN THE ARTS works on a project that conveys the significance and value of diversity to the wider public, breaks down boundaries and spurs interaction, with a focus on the area of artistic activities of people with disabilities. We started The Nippon Foundation DIVERSITY IN THE ARTS International Art Exhibition in 2018. This project leverages the power of art to encourage interaction among all people, with or without disabilities, share the excitement and joy, and help people with disabilities discover and fulfill their potential. To that end, the project is committed to providing opportunities for people with disabilities to engage in artistic activities, unearthing artistic talent, and supporting and showcasing activities of these artists, thereby conveying the significance and value of diversity to a wider audience in society.
Overview of Guidelines for Overseas Entries
Regulation: Artworks produced by people with disabilities inside or outside of Japan. Works that have previously won awards are not eligible for entry.
Eligible applicants: Artist responsible for creating the work; person with the parental responsibilities and rights for the artist (if the artist is a minor); artist’s legal guardian; or juridical person entrusted with the right to use the entered artwork.
Number of entries: Up to three works per artist will be accepted for consideration.
Application period: From June15 (Mon) to July 5 (Sun), 2020
Application fee: Free
Application method: Complete the application form, attached photos of the work, and send by email or postal mail.
An application form is required for each work entered.
– Photocopy the completed application form and keep it at hand.
– Application materials and attached photos are non-returnable.
Please check the requirements from here.（2020 Call for Entries.PDF）
The application form can be downloaded from here. （PDF/Word）
Judging Panel
AKIMOTO Yuji
Director, Professor of The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts / Director of Nerima Art Museum
Born in Tokyo in 1955. Upon graduation from the Department of Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, he worked for the Benesse Art Site Naoshima project in 1991 and thereafter. He was appointed to the posts of Director of the Chichu Art Museum and Artistic Director of Benesse Art Site Naoshima in 2004. During his service as Director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa from 2007 to March 2017, he was responsible for organizing, among others, Kanazawa Art Platform 2008, International Triennale of Kogei in Kanazawa, Art Crafting Towards the Future and INOUE Yuichi Centennial Exhibition. Visiting Professor at Akita University of Art from April 2013 to March 2017. Visiting Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts from April 2013 until March 2015. Since 2015 he is the Director, Professor of The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts. Since 2017, The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Culture Education commission. Since 2018, he holds Nerima Art Museum director.
photo by KAMADO
UEDA Baron
Founder of FR/LAME MONGER / Illustrator
Baron Ueda is known for his character illustrations with unique eyes and of aggressive style represented by bold lines.
Active both inside and outside Japan mainly in the fields of advertising, publishing, games, and other media.
In a masterpiece McDonald’s collaboration, Google Chrome artist theme, character design for ichikoro, art works for Tomoyasu Hotei, EXILE and Perfume, and character artwork for the superhit series Interactive Psychological Game JIN-ROU. He also produced interior wall paintings for the popular cheese tart cafés PABLO. He won K-Design Award 2017. For the 400th anniversary of the Rimpa, he painted a large picture of Fujin(Wind God) and Raijin(Thunder God), which was exhibited at Toraya Kyoto Gallery. He was invited as a guest artist with Red Bull Ignition. He also ranked 3rd in the LIMITS Digital Art Battle World Grand Prix 2017. His first anthology EYES was released by Genkosha.
Edward M. Gómez
Senior Editor of RAW VISION
Edward M. Gómez is an arts journalist, critic and graphic designer. He is the senior editor of the London-based outsider-art magazine RAW VISION and the New York correspondent of the American magazine Art & Antiques. He has written and provided photography for The New York Times, Art + Auction, Metropolis (U.S.A.) Folk Art Magazine, Hyperallergic,The Japan Times (Tokyo), Reforma (Mexico City), Jamaica Observer (Kingston) and many other publications. His new film about the artist Valton Tyler was released in 2017. He is based in New York and Tokyo. Member of the Advisory Council of the Collection de l’Art Brut in Lausanne, Switzerland.
photo by BILL WESTMORELAND
ZOUZA Emi
Director, Human Rights, Fukuoka
She encountered people affiliated with the National Sanatorium Kikuchi Keifuen when she worked as a staff member of Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto. Since then, she has discovered many unnoticed things through interactions with Keifuen people. Since 2015, she has served as Director of Human Rights, Fukuoka, starting activities for examining and preserving works by members of the Kikuchi Keifuen Painting Club Kinyokai. She is also devoting all-out efforts to examining works by people affiliated with the national sanatoriums of Matsuoka Hoyoen, Nagashima Aiseien, Hoshizuka Keiaien and Amami Wakoen and maintaining records of their works. She has curated exhibitions of paintings by Kinyokai members around Japan, including the exhibitions Proof of Life (2016), Return Home to Amami, Go to Meet the Unknown (2018), Images and Words –E no naka no furusato-, Return Home to Amami: Tokyo Exhibition (2019), and Kokokara (2020).
NAKATSUGAWA Hiroaki
Artist / Art Director
While creating his own artworks, he involves in art projects that question the relationships between art and society in various fields. Through expression activity workshops, barrier-free art studios, art history workshops, and lectures, he tells the meaning of human expressive activities and its importance. He has worked on many art studio directions, exhibition planning, production, and curation. Among others he served as a curator for Taro Okamoto and Art Brut at Taro Okamoto Museum of Art in Kawasaki and as an Art Director for BiG-i Art Project Selected Works Exhibition. He currently holds several positions, as Director, Able Art Japan; Director, Art de Vivre; Director, Get in touch; and President, Art InterMix.
NAGANO Ikko
Photographer
Member of Japanese Professional Photographers Society (JPS). Representative for Kyoto Yomiuri Photo Club. Judge of photo contests, etc. Born in Kyoto in 1945. Became a freelance photographer after working in the planning department of a printing company. Based in Kyoto and has provided photographs of fine arts and antiques, architecture, food, traditional crafts, and people for numerous publications and magazines.
MOCHIZUKI Kyoshu
Calligrapher
Born in Himeji City in 1949 and graduated from Department of calligraphy, Faculty of Education, Niigata University. Currently, he is a lecturer at Himeji Municipal Koko Gakuen College and serves as executive committee member of the Kansai Exhibition of the Mainichi Shodo Exhibition. He took this position after serving as an administrative committee member and Grand Prize selection committee member of the Mainichi Shodo Exhibition. Has also serves as General Manager of Kinki Region of the Kinki branch of Dokuritsu Shojindan Foundation, administrative committee member of Himeji Bijutsu Kyokai, and chair of Kyoshu Shohokai. His Awards include the Mainichi Shodo Exhibition Grand Prize and Dokuritsu Shojindan Foundation Member Award. As a calligraphy artist and commentator, Mochizuki lectures extensively on rinsho as well as creative calligraphy and continues to develop his unique calligraphy theory through research compilation, etc. He has authored books such as Kotsu ga wakareba daredemo kakeru.
