Application Procedures

Theme

“The Future of Ceramics”

Entries should go beyond traditional concepts in a way that is imaginative and inspired – one that opens the door to the future of the ceramics.

Schedule

Entry Categories

(1)Ceramic Arts Category

Ceramic pieces that incorporate creative ideas and techniques.

(2) Ceramics Design Category

A Factory Field (Factory products with practical functions)
Company applications(Individuals/groups belonging to that company are also acceptable.)

B Studio Field (Individual studio products with practical functions)Individual/group applications

Application Requirements

1. Being a work mainly made of ceramics.
2. Produced after the end of the application period of the previous competition. (i.e., after January 11th, 2020)
3. Not selected in other public competitions.
4. The size, weight, and shape of the work must not interfere with its transportation or indoor exhibition. The guideline is a floor space of 4m² or less, a height of 4m or less, and a weight of 100kg or less.(100kg or less per part for an assembled work.)

Applicant Qualifications

None. The competition is open to everyone.

Number of Application

Each applicant may submit up to 3 entries in each category.

Not allowed to submit the same work in more than one category.

Application Registration Fee

No registration fee is required to apply.

Application Period

Wednesday, February 1, 2023 – Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

Official Language

This competition will be officially conducted in Japanese/English.

Judging

The competition will be judged in the following three stages.
Applicant Information will not be disclosed during the judging process.
However, only necessary age information will be disclosed for the selection of [Sakazaki Shigeo Ceramics Award] mentioned.

First Stage

Image Screening

Judging images of works to narrow down the list to be considered for selected works.

Second Stage

Image Screening

Judging images of works that passed the First Stage to determine the selected works.

*Works that pass the Second Stage will be selected works. Passed works should be carried in during the acceptance period for the Final Stage.

Final Stage

Actual Pieces Screening

Judging actual pieces of the selected works to determine Grand Prix and other Awards.

[Examples of Unselected Works]

*A work may be excluded from the selection process if it falls into any of the following [Examples of Unselected Works].

1. If the work is not delivered within the acceptance period.
2. If the received work is damaged when unpacked.
3. If the received work is different from the registered image of the work.
4. If the organizer judges that the work is not suitable for the exhibition.

How to Confirm the Screening Results

Please access the application page and check “My Page” for the results of each stage. We cannot respond to inquiries by phone or other means. (See page 8 for access to the application page.)

Award

The awards in this competition are as follows.

Grand Prix

• Prize Money : 5,000,000 yen ( 1 work )

Gold Award

• Prize Money : 2,000,000 yen ( 1 work )

Silver Award

• Prize Money: 1,000,000 Japanese yen each(1 work from Ceramic Arts Category and 1 work from Ceramics Design Category Factory Field and 1 work from Ceramics Design Category Studio Field)

Bronze Award

• Prize Money: 500,000 Japanese yen each(2 work from Ceramic Arts Category and 1 work from Ceramics Design Category Factory Field and 1 work from Ceramics Design Category Studio Field)

Special Judges’ Award

• Prize Money: 100,000 Japanese yen each(5 work from Ceramic Arts Category and 5 work from Ceramics Design Category)

Honorable Mentions

about 160-180 selected works excluding the above.

*The Grand Prix winner will be invited to attend the award ceremony.(The round-trip transportation and the accommodation fee will be covered by the organizer.)
*Prize money may be subject to taxation.
*One catalog of this exhibition (hereinafter referred to as “catalog”) will be presented to each of the award-winning works and the selected works.

Sakazaki Shigeo Ceramics Award

In addition to the above awards, in this competition, “Sakazaki Shigeo Ceramics Award” has been established since the 9th exhibition in 2011 for the purpose of producing outstanding young artists.

1. Eligibility: Individual applicants who are 40 years old or younger at the time of application deadline.
2. Prize Money: 500,000 Japanese yen each (1 work from Ceramic Arts Category and 1 work from Ceramics Design Category)

*This prize money is provided by “Sakazaki Shigeo Ceramics Industry
Succession Fund” established by Tajimi Pottery Wholesalers’
Co-operative Association.

Sakazaki Shigeo (1922-2015)

He is the contributor who made the first competition possible in 1986. He traveled around the world with members of Mino Ceramic Art Association to promote the international ceramics competition held in the Minoyaki production area.

Regarding Donations of Grand Prix and Gold Award-Winning Works

Please note that the Grand Prix and Gold Award-winning works will be donated to Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu. These works will be carefully preserved as part of the museum’s collection together with successive Grand prix and Gold Award-winning works, and will be displayed at the International Ceramics Exhibition Mino, Japan retrospective projects or other events.

Exhibition and Public Viewing of Award-Winning and Selected Works

Award-winning and selected works will be exhibited in “the 13th International Ceramics Exhibition Mino, Japan” scheduled to be held in 2024. They will also be available to the public in the catalog and on the organizer’s website.

Legal Rights

Applicants retain all rights, such as copyright and industrial property rights, over their entries. Therefore, applicants are required to take the procedures for registration of design or others at the time of application if necessary. Also, please be advised that the organizer has the right to exhibit the award-winning and selected works as well as to publish a catalog of them, and right to place them on other printed materials and websites issued or permitted by the organizer.