We started a public entry competition called FACE in 2012 to carry forward our mission of raising and supporting emerging artists. The 13th FACE Exhibition saw the entry of many attractive works from 1,312 emerging artists throughout Japan. The jury members selected 57 works of international appeal through a process of time-consuming consideration. As our motto “The gateway to the art world regardless of age or affiliation” says, artists with varied ages and careers are selected as well. This year, the Yomiuri Shimbun Award to date will be replaced with the newly formed U30 Frontier Award, which will be awarded to artists under 30, in order to further support emerging artists.
In addition, from the 14th FACE Exhibition to be held in 2026, we will also start holding “The Way of Paintings,” a group exhibition by artists who have received the Grand Prix Award and Excellent Work Awards in the previous Exhibition. We hope that these decisions will further invigorate the creative activities of awarded and selected artists. The Audience Awards will be selected by the audience’s vote.

The public entry competition FACE established in 2013 is offering a gateway to the art world for up and coming
artists regardless of their age or affiliation and many entries are received every year. A panel of judges, comprised of art critics, conducts a rigorous review to choose submitted works that have potential to receive global recognition in the future. Outstanding works are awarded prizes, including the Grand Prix Award and Excellent Work Awards.
This exhibition brings together approximately 80 of the recent and new works of 12 artists who received the Grand Prix or Excellent Work Awards in the three years from 2022 to 2024. In addition, this exhibition displays the three works that were awarded the Grand Prix and became works of our permanent collection.
By doing so, this exhibition reveals the true value of the works which capture the essence of the times, and explores
how the paintings of the artists have evolved over time.