Mori Art Award 2026 Grand Prize Exhibition: Makiya Mako

After a document review by an international selection committee, the grand prize is decided through an in-person final review from four finalists. The grand prize winner receives a prize of 10,000,000 yen and an opportunity to hold a commemorative exhibition in collaboration with Mori Art Museum, while the other three finalists receive a prize of 1,000,000 yen. Makiya Tachibana was highly evaluated by the international selection committee for strongly presenting the possibility of expanding the boundaries of her own body through handwork such as film photography, embroidery, and sewing. It is expected that she will further soar in the international art scene. This exhibition will introduce works centered on her recent series 'tree of life' (2024-), which also served as the reason for her award, and is housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum (London). - Makiya Tachibana 'tree of life #001' 2024 C-print (hand-tinted) Courtesy: Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve, Paris; Yutaka Kikutake Gallery, Tokyo *Reference illustration Makiya Tachibana, born in 1987, resides in Gunma. Starting with hand-sewn objects, she explores self-portraits, videos, and installations, which serve as a lens to reflect on layered social structures and roles, and the landscapes where they resonate together. Through this combination, she has questioned the boundaries of conventional social concepts such as 'nature, artificial, correctness.' In addition to her artwork, she initiated the 'High Heel Project' in 2011, which advocates for 'freedom of choice.' She has been wearing custom-made high heels for prosthetics and has been active in various fields such as singing, modeling, and lectures. Major exhibitions include: 'Flesh and Bones: The Art of Anatomy' Art Science Museum (Singapore, 2026), 'Photography Now: Parasol Foundation Women Photographers Project' Victoria and Albert Museum (London, 2025-2027), 'Performer and Participant' Tate Modern (London, 2023), 'home again' European Museum of Photography (Paris, 2021), 58th Venice Biennale (2019), 'Roppongi Crossing 2016 Exhibition: My Body, Your Voice' Mori Art Museum (Tokyo), and others. She has also published a monograph 'Synthesis' (2025). https://marikatayama.com/ About the Mori Foundation for Contemporary Art (MoriCAF) The Mori Foundation for Contemporary Art promotes and develops Japanese contemporary art in the international art community by inviting foreign curators to Japan and by conducting an honor system for mid-career artists. https://mori-caf.jp/ Instagram: @moricaf About the Mori Art Award 2026 https://mori-caf.jp/art-award/