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AWARD

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AFAF AWARD GATEWAY

For Artists Not Affiliated with a Commercial Gallery

This program is intended for those who wish to pursue a professional career as an artist or expand their
artistic practice. It offers a gateway to the art market while supporting the next step in their artistic journey
through the opportunity to exhibit at one of Japan’s largest art fairs.
*Applicants whose works are already handled by a gallery may still apply, provided that representation by or affiliation
with other galleries is permitted.

Prizes & Entry Benefits

■ Prizes

  1. Grand Prize (1-3 artists)
  2. Finalists:Multiple artists
  3. Gallery Prize (multiple)
  4. E.SUN BANK Prize
  5. Audience Prize

■ Entry Benefits

Grand Prize (1 artist)
E xhibit/sell at the special booth during ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2026
Feature on the official AFAF website
Opportunities to be introduced to commercial galleries
Cash prize: JPY 300,000
Including the Taiwan Art Research Support Grant
*A Japan art study tour support grant is provided for residents of Taiwan.
Invitation to the award ceremony to be held on October 1st (Thu) at the venue.

Gallery Prize (multiple)
During the fair, AFAF exhibiting galleries will freely view and evaluate the finalist works on display at the venue, and each gallery will present the Gallery Prize to the work it values most from its own perspective.

Finalists:Multiple artists
E xhibit/sell at the special booth during ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2026
Feature on the official AFAF website
Opportunities to be introduced to commercial galleries
Cash prize: JPY 50,000
Invitation to the award ceremony to be held on October 1st (Thu) at the venue.

E.SUN BANK Prize
Works selected for the E.SUN BANK Prize will be acquired as part of E.SUN Bank s collection. Award winning
works will also be featured on the AFAF official website.
*There may be cases where no work is selected for this Prize.

Audience Prize
During the fair, visitors will vote for the work that leaves the strongest impression on them among the finalist works on display at the venue. The Audience Award will be selected based on the voting results.

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Process

Mid-July

Jury Announcement (Planned)

Monday August 9th at 23:59.

Entry Fee Payment

  1. Please purchase the applicable entry item via STORES. After purchase, download the application materials (PDF / application form). *Entry fees can be paid by credit card, convenience store payment, PayPal, Rakuten Pay, carrier payment, or PayPay balance.
  2. For bank transfer: If you wish to pay by bank transfer, please transfer the entry fee to the designated account. After the transfer, please register using the bank transfer application form listed in the guidelines. Once your application has been confirmed, we will send you the application form.

Monday August 10th, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Application Form Deadline

The application form will close at this time. *A Google account is required to fill out the application form. If you are unable to access the form, please contact us by email.

August

First Screening

Artists will be selected by the jury. Please note that the screening period may vary depending on the number of applications and jury availability.

*Please note that we do not provide individual updates on the screening status.

Tuesday September 1st, 2026

Announcement of Results on the official website (tentative)
*If any false declarations are confirmed, the selectionmay be canceled even after the announcement.

Wed, September 30, 2026

Final Judging

The Grand Prize, Gallery Prize, and E.SUN BANK Prize will be decided by the jury at the ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA venue.

October 1 – October 4, 2026

ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2026

Exhibition at the AFAF venue. Final judging and the award ceremony will be held during the exhibition period.

*Move-in: September 30, Move-out: October 4

*Award Ceremony: October 1 at the venue (planned)
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Guidelines

■ Regarding sales

Exhibited works can be sold through facilitated by the ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA Secretariat.
As stated in the application requirements, please be prepared to respond if E.SUN BANK, our sponsor,
expresses interest in purchasing your work.
General sales outside of the sponsorship will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

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・For qualified invoice issuers: 30% of the artwork price
・For non-qualified invoice issuers: 33% of the artwork price (including tax)

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■ Screening Fee

◆AFAF AWARD GATEWAY
General:JPY 5,000 (incl. tax)
Students:JPY 3,000 (incl. tax) *Student ID photo required

■ Conditions

  1. Must not be affiliated with a commercial gallery*
    *Applicants whose works are already handled by a gallery may still apply, provided that representation by or affiliation
    with other galleries is permitted.
  2. No restrictions on age or nationality.
  3. Works in all media are welcome (2D, 3D, video, etc.).
  4. At least one work within the specified size limits must be available for exhibition/sale at the “ART FAIRASIA FUKUOKA 2026” venue (October 1–4, 2026).
    *Applicants must be able to respond to purchase requests from E.SUN Bank. If works cannot be sold, the selection willbe revoked.
  5. Must be present at the venue during the exhibition period to oversee the display and engage withvisitors.
    *Applicants are required to submit their available hours in advance; scheduling will be coordinated by the organizers.
  6. Must be available for setup (Wednesday September 30th) and takedown (Sunday October 4th).
    *All travel, transportation, and accommodation expenses are the responsibility of the artists.
  7. Must be available to attend the award ceremony scheduled during the exhibition period at the venue.
    **Award ceremony will be held on October 1st (Thu).

■ Required Submission Materials

  1. Images of 3 artworks Up to 3 images per work (if submitting multiple shots, please place the front-facing image first). *As a general rule, please apply with the work you plan to exhibit if selected. File name: “Artist name_Work title_1”, “Artist name_Work title_2”, “Artist name_Work title_3” JPEG format, at least 72dpi, min. 1,000px on the longest side, max. 5MB per file. Accepted work sizes: [2D] Up to 100×100cm / [3D] Base: length + width combined up to 120cm, Height: up to 120cm. *For installations, etc., please consult with the secretariat.
  2. Artwork Details Title, size, materials, technique, Year of Production, description
  3. Applicant Information Name, nationality, address, date of birth, gender, phone number, school (if student), Profile, Statement