Announcement of Selected Artists for the AFAF AWARD powered by E.SUN BANK

We are pleased to announce the AFAF AWARD 2025 selected artists. This year, we received nearly 800 submissions, and we sincerely thank all participants for their entries. After a rigorous selection process, the following artists have been chosen.

[List of Selected Artists] In alphabetical order

◆AFAF AWARD
YUKI IDEGUCHI @yuki_ideguchi
Orecho HONDA @orechostudio
JongYuGyong @jong_yugyong
MOEGI NISHINO @iino_ovoii_work
Sakura Miyazaki @babynagasaki

◆AFAF AWARD GATEWAY
Masatoshi Amemiya @masatoshi_amemiya
Yuma Ishii @ishiiyuma_
INOUE YASUSHI @yasushiinoue_nagogama
Fuma Kashiwagura @fuma_kashiwagura
KUMO @kumo.works / @yukimorita.wakaruyo / @ryudaimisawa.works
Yudai Koga @shimesaba7113
SANO Akira @aqr222
Yuichi Shiroma @shi_take1234
SHINTAROIWASA @shintaro_iwasa_
SUZUKI Kota @suzukikota.art
TAKEDA Keiko @keikotakedaart
Chang Yun-Chia @chia_s_art
J FISH
Keito Tokoi @keito._.to
Mutsumi Hagiwara @mutsumi_hagiwara
Ayaka Hatsu @hatsu_ayaka
Haruto @haruto_7504
MOTOMITSU FUJIWARA @fujiwara_1222
Jumpei Yamamuro @jumpeiyamamuro
ANCO @anco_ceramics
Chingke,Lin @grid.atelier

[Organizer’s Comment]

Kazunobu Abe (Representative Director of ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA)
First of all, I would like to express my sincere surprise and deep gratitude for the nearly 800 applications we received, with close to 20% coming from overseas. Among them were highly accomplished artists whose names I was already familiar with, as well as those who revealed strikingly fresh individuality and cultural sensibilities unique to their backgrounds. The diversity was truly remarkable, and selecting only a few from such a wide range of works proved to be an extremely difficult task. I truly wished I could have experienced every piece in person. Even among those not selected this time, there were many artists whose future endeavors I will continue to watch with great anticipation. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to E.SUN Bank for providing such a valuable and meaningful opportunity.

[Sponsor’s Comment]

E.SUN BANK
We were deeply impressed by the works submitted to this open call. Each piece reflected the artists’ sincere emotions, conveying both delicate feelings and profound thoughts.
The diversity of themes and methods was striking—these works not only explored the artists’ inner worlds but also revealed perspectives on society, history, and nature.Particularly memorable were those works that skillfully combined traditional forms of expression with contemporary sensibilities.
For instance, by layering the flat perspective of ukiyo-e or the elements of woodblock printing with animation-like depth, some artists created entirely new visual experiences.
In these works, we clearly sensed both respect for traditional techniques and a strong drive to pursue new expressions.
Equally impressive were the attempts to capture “time” through photography.
By highlighting presence within emptiness or emotions within stillness, the artists demonstrated a sharp sense of observation and awareness of the moment.
The creative concepts themselves were also highly engaging.One artist explored the liberating potential of mountains through the theme of “Climbing,” while another used collected objects as a means of evoking shared memories.
Overall, the submitted works conveyed remarkable richness and vitality.The artists’ willingness to boldly step beyond established frameworks was truly evident.
Through their unique perspectives and the use of diverse media, I strongly felt the breadth and potential of contemporary art.

[Exhibition Information]

The selected works will be exhibited at ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2025, held at Marine Messe Fukuoka, Hall B, from September 26 (Fri) to 28 (Sun), 2025.

Title：ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2025
Dates：Friday September 26th – Sunday September 28th, 2025*VIP View on Thursday September 25th, 2025
Venue：MARINE MESSE FUKUOKA Hall B（2-1 Okihama-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka）
Main Organisatio：General Incorporated Association ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA
Co-organizers：Fukuoka City / Culture Vision Japan Foundation Inc.

Tickets: Now on sale. Details here!！