Scholarship

International Takifuji Art Award

About Award

To the students of the art who are torchbearer of culture

We set up “The TAKIFUJI Art Award” scholarship program in 1980. Our aim is to support artistically talented young students who would contribute to the future of the art and culture. Presently the scholarship draws students from 13 domestic and 13 foreign institutions-6 from Asia, and 7 from Europe and the U.S. The scholarship provides 300,000 yen a year to each recipient. Over the last 41 years we’ve provided support to 800 students, some of whom have become leaders in the art world.

History

Foster young artists

As The Association promote public art all over japan, we set up “The TAKIFUJI Art Award” in 1980 to foster young talents who could contribute to the future of public art. Since we extended our invitations to overseas students in 1991, we changed the name to “The International TAKIFUJI Art Award.” Presently, the scholarship draws students from 13 foreign institutions as well as 13 domestic colleges. Over the last 41 years (by 2020), we have provided support for a total of 800 young art students from Japan and abroad. Some have become leaders in the art world. Among them, sculptor AOKI Noe, a 1st year grantee; contemporary artist; NARA Yoshitomo, a 5th year grantee; contemporary artist, YANOBE Kenji, a 9th year grantee; and sculptor and associate professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, ODANI Motohiko, a 15th year grantee.

Achievement (Until 2020, 41th.award)

The universities above are correct as of October 2020 (Universities which subject to the application qualification revised and add depend on the year)
Total of winners	800
Total Scholarship	233.8 million yen ($2.33million)
Universities	Japan: Aichi University of the Arts / Hiroshima City University / Joshibi University of Art and Design / Kanazawa College of Art / Kyoto City University of Arts / Kyoto University of Arts (former Kyoto University of Art and Design) /Musashino Art University / Nihon University / Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts / Tama Art University / Tohoku University of Art and Design / Tokyo University of the Arts / Tokyo Zokei University Abroad: Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, China / The Education University of Hong Kong, China / École Nationale Supérieure Des Beaux-Arts de Paris, France / Berlin University of the Arts, Germany / Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design, Germany / Ewha Womans University, College of Arts & Design, Korea / Hongik University, Korea / Seoul National University, Korea / Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore / University of the Arts London, UK / University College London, UK / Art Center College of Design, USA / Pratt Institute, USA *Universities and Colleges are listed in Alphabetical order of country.

Award Gallery 2020

Prize for Excellence / Grand Prize
[kaitekina kurashi] KOBAYASHI Konomi
Musashino Art University, Japan
“Comfortable living” is based on the motif of the housing complex with barrier-free where my grandmother lives. It was made before the Covid-19, but it is a domestic work that focuses on small changes and discomfort in everyday life. This consciousness did not change much my other works during the infection of the Covid-19 and I think it was a very good opportunity for me to be able to close-up a small matters that I would normally miss. Receiving the award in this situation will be a big step toward graduation work and for the activities as an artist in near future.
Prize for Excellence / International Grand Prize
[UNTITLED(HIKIKOMORI 1)] Ymane CHABI-GARA
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, France
The series of paintings entitled Hikikomori , these young people who decide to isolate and cut any contact with society, was born two years ago as I researched possible subjects for my masters thesis. I had been interested in Japanese society and language for a long time and wanted to explore this specific phenomenon because I felt that it touched something deeply human and universal, yet at the same time I could relate to it personally, through my own life experience.
In the spring of 2018 I had the opportunity to study at Musashino Art University in Tokyo as an exchange student. There, I confronted my idea of Japan to reality and gained a deeper understanding.
It’s only when I came back to France and started working on my graduation show that I finally decided to tackle the study of Hikikomori seriously, but this time as a purely artistic subject. As a painter, I think a lot about the way humans interact or fail to interact with each other, but also how individuals deal with virtuality and as a result, how both tend to collide in our contemporary societies. Screens, images, video games as escapism… using photographs and stills from documentaries, I recreate the environments in which Hikikomori live. Rooms full of random objects, books, gaming devices but also trash.
Isolated and withdrawn, a lone figure is visible. A subtle shift occurs: I replace the individuals from the original pictures with my own body. I place myself in the space, facing my own solitude, exploring the possibilities as well as the vulnerability inherent to the act of self-portraiture. I will be graduating from Beaux-Arts de Paris in October of this year and will be an artist in residence at Ateliers du Plessix-Madeuc in Brittany, France from January to March 2021.
Prize for Excellence
[wonderful everyday] SUZUKI Ryohei
Aichi University of the Arts, Japan
Prize for Excellence
[even if most things are lost] SHIRAHAMA Mariko
Kanazawa College of Art, Japan
Prize for Excellence
[begetable scarecrow] SONODA Yukino
Kyoto University of Arts (former Kyoto University of Art and Design),JAPAN
Prize for Excellence
[Landscapes of the inside] HORI Misa
Joshibi University of Art and Design, Japan
Prize for Excellence
[Flame and Bloom] ABE Yuki
Tama Art University, Japan
Prize for Excellence
[Light Stop] ARAKAWA Koken
Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan
Prize for Excellence
[ARCHITYPE-The Historical Jesus and The Christ of The Kerygma] UEDA Tetsuya
Tokyo Zokei University, Japan
Prize for Excellence
[Waterbreak] SEKI Echika
Tohoku University of Art and Design, Japan
Prize for Excellence
[dog] KIM Jeongwoo
Nihon University, Japan
Prize for Excellence
[Wind blows] MORISHITA Maho
Hiroshima City University, Japan
Prize for Excellence
[off line top gol park] Eun-Ho LEE
Seoul National University, Korea
Prize for Excellence
[2020.0202] Jinwan ZHANG
Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, China
Prize for Excellence
[UNBEARABLE BEAUTY -02] Suhuai HUANG
Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore
Prize for Excellence
[BODY No.2] Jyunkyu LIM
Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design, Germany
Prize for Excellence
[EYE-LEBEL INSTALLATION COLLAGE] Veronica TORRES
Art Center College of Design, USA
Special Jury Prize
[Hanazakari] MASUI Saori
Kanazawa College of Art, Japan
Special Jury Prize
[Water Way] HARADA Ayano
Tohoku University of Art and Design, Japan
Special Jury Prize
[“a cutie pie in uniform”] Caroline MEYER
Berlin University of the Arts, Germany

Juries

MIYATA Ryohei

Metal Craft Artist /
Professor Emeritus, Tokyo University of the Arts
OTSU Eibin

Painter /
Member of The Japan Art Academy
ONARI Hiroshi

Sculptor /
Director of Japan Artists Association
HIBINO Katsuhiko

Artist /
Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
AOKI Noe

Sculptor

Director of the General Affairs Division, Railway Bureau of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Senior Executive Officer, East Japan Railway Company
TAKI Hisao, Director – General, Japan Traffic Culture Association

As of October 2020.

Winners 2020

Prize for Excellence / Grand Prize	KOBAYASHI Konomi	Musashino Art University, Japan
Prize for Excellence / International Grand Prize	Ymane CHABI-GARA	École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, France
Prize for Excellence	SUZUKI Ryohei	Aichi University of the Arts, Japan
	SHIRAHAMA Mariko	Kanazawa College of Art, Japan
	SONODA Yukino	Kyoto University of Arts (former Kyoto University of Art and Design), Japan
	HORI Misa	Joshibi University of Art and Design, Japan
	ABE Yuki	Tama Art University, Japan
	ARAKAWA Koken	Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan
	UEDA Tetsuya	Tokyo Zokei University, Japan
	SEKI Echika	Tohoku University of Art and Design, Japan
	KIM Jeongwoo	Nihon University, Japan
	MORISHITA Maho	Hiroshima City University, Japan
	Eun-Ho LEE	Seoul National University, Korea
	Jinwan ZHANG	Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, China
	Suhuai HUANG	Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore
	Jyunkyu LIM	Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design, Germany
	Veronica TORRES	Art Center College of Design, USA
Special Jury Prize	MASUI Saori	Kanazawa College of Art, Japan
	HARADA Ayano	Tohoku University of Art and Design, Japan
	Caroline MEYER	Berlin University of the Arts, Germany

The Grand Prize winner is selected from among winners of Prize for Excellence.

Interview

: New
Interview with alumni art award winner

OHKOJIMA Maki Artist

OHKOJIMA Maki, the 29th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner who deepens her reflection on the ea

Award Community

Application Guidelines 2021

Qualifications	Students who are qualified and recommended by professor
Award Amount	Prize for excellence: 300,000 JPY single installment Jury’s Special Award: 100,000 JPY single installment

Application Deadline	June 15th, 2021
Results Announced	Middle of September, 2021
Award Ceremony	TBA, in October/ November, 2021

*There is possibility that the event be cancelled or changed due to the spread of the new coronavirus.

For more information about this award, please refer to the details on PDF below.

The 42th Scholarship Application Guidelines 2021 (PDF: 3.4MB)

Contacts

Takifuji Foundation

About Foundation

Taki Fuji Foundation was established in 1968 as an aid program to foster potential in the younger generation. The name of “Taki Fuji” was taken by the name of Taki FUJITARO, who is one of the founder. It is available to people working in transportation or traffic related businesses (including tourism) and their family members currently attending university or another form of higher education. Each year around 50 participants are selected and receive financial assistance or full scholarship. Up to 2020, the students who received the scholarship are more than 1800.