TOKYO.- The Mori Contemporary Art Foundation today announced the four finalists for the Mori Art Award 2026: Katayama Mari, Koizumi Meiro, ⽬ [mé], and Yamashiro Chikako. In addition, the participants selected for the Curator Residency Program were also announced as Maria Brewinska, Imaseki Yurika, Philippe Pirotte, and Shinoda Yayoi.

“The Mori Contemporary Art Foundation has launched its inaugural initiatives: the Mori Art Award 2026 and the Curator Residency Program 2026. We received nominations and applications from highly accomplished artists and curators,” said Kataoka Mami, Chair of the MoriCAF’s International Jury. “On behalf of the International Jury, I am pleased to announce the selection of four mid-career artists who pursue dynamic and outstanding practices, as well as four curators and researchers capable of promoting the value and historical significance of contemporary Japanese art to the world. These selections will serve as a benchmark for our foundation's future endeavors and represent a significant step toward the realization of our vision as an institution.”

The Nominators for the Mori Art Award 2026 has also been announced.

The winner of the Mori Art Award 2026 will be decided by the International Jury in February next year, based on presentations by the finalists. The winner will receive prize money of 10 million yen and the opportunity to exhibit their work in partnership with Mori Art Museum. The other three finalists will each receive prize money of 1 million yen.

The selected participants for the Curator Residency Program 2026 will start arriving in Japan from February next year to undertake research on Japanese artists and meet with art world figures.

2026 International Jury (for both Curator Residency Program and Mori Art Award) Kataoka Mami (Director, Mori Art Museum; Chair, International Jury) Rhana Devenport (Former Director, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide) Glenn D. Lowry (Former Director, The Museum of Modern Art, New York) Frances Morris (Director Emerita, Tate Modern, London) Suhanya Raffel (Museum Director, M+, Hong Kong) Eugene Tan (Director, The National Gallery Singapore and Singapore Art Museum)

Moreover, the Nomination Committee for the Mori Art Award 2026 was announced. The International Jury selected the four finalists from a shortlist of artists prepared by the following curators.

Mori Art Award 2026 Nominators (in alphabetical order) Cho Sunhye (Associate Curator, Mori Art Museum) Kimura Eriko (Director, Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art) Nakamura Fumiko (Senior Curator, Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka) Sumi Naoko (Curatorial Head, 21st Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa) Tokuyama Hirokazu(Curator, Mori Art Museum) Tsubaki Reiko (Curator, Mori Art Museum)