2026 Young Printmaker Award

CWAJ established the Young Printmaker Award in 2005 as part of the 50th Print Show celebration to encourage young artists. A prize of 500,000 yen is awarded each year. Eligible applicants are the creators of outstanding prints identified by organizers of the previous yearʼs Annual Exhibition of the Japan Society of Printmaking for university students. YPA applicants submit a portfolio that includes their print from the student exhibition. Their artistic potential and creativity are evaluated, along with a proposed project the award would fund. The recipient exhibits the winning print at the Print Show and is invited to exhibit a new one three years later.

KUROGANE Mahiro • 黒金 万紘

301 Appearance すがた
2025 woodcut

Drawing on my own experience of competitive swimming from a young age, I chose to focus on the behind-the-scenes moments rather than the joy and exhilaration of sports, expressing the essence of humanity. By combining the theme of life behind the scenes in swimming with my research into techniques, I have created a depiction of the earnest, albeit sometimes awkward, figure of humanity.

I plan to use the prize money to purchase woodblocks, a traditional baren (printing tool), a whetstone, and brushes. I want to research expressions that maximize the unique characteristics of printmaking and the two-dimensional plane. I am planning to create large-scale works exploring the relationship and meaning between the image and its scale. I also aim to improve my technique and create more refined works by using appropriate tools.

302 Scene 光景
2025 woodcut

Born: 2000

in Tokyo, Residence: Kanagawa
Graduate of Department of Painting, Graphic Arts Course, Faculty of Art and Design, Musashino Art University
Enrolled in the Graduate School of Art and Design, Master’s Course in Printmaking at Musashino Art University.

2025

The 50th Annual Exhibition of the Japan Society of Printmaking, Excellence Award, Collection Award to Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts