Kikuchi Biennale XI: The Present of Ceramics at the Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial Tomo Museum, Tokyo

Kikuchi Biennale XI: The Present of Ceramics is a ceramic competition exhibition held at the Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial Tomo Museum in Tokyo from December 13, 2025 to March 22, 2026. Organized by the Kikuchi Foundation and Nikkei Inc., the biennale has been held every two years since 2004 as a juried exhibition dedicated to the promotion of ceramic art. Open to artists without restrictions on age, career stage, or the form and size of submitted works, the biennale offers a platform for examining contemporary expressions and possibilities of ceramics.

The 11th edition received a record 452 submissions. After a two-stage selection process—first through image review and then through examination of physical works—46 artworks were selected, including five prizewinning works. The selected works range from vessel forms to sculptural objects and reflect a broad spectrum of contemporary ceramic practice in terms of both creative approach and technical execution. All selected works are presented together in the exhibition at the Tomo Museum.

This edition also saw a significant rise in international participation. A total of 86 submissions were received from outside Japan, representing 33 countries and regions. From this edition onward, applicants based outside Japan were able to apply directly without a local representative, contributing to increased global participation. Applications increased across multiple age groups, and this edition marked the youngest Grand Prize recipient in the biennale’s history.

Prizewinners

The Grand Prize was awarded to Nakane Gaku for Contemplation on Borders. The work explores forms that exist between sculptural object and vessel, engaging with paired concepts such as natural and artificial, abstraction and representation, and chance and intention. Nakane draws on an awareness of how non-vessel objects can evoke use, despite having no practical function, and focuses on the presence of inner space as a trigger for imagination. Through this approach, the work questions the boundary between “something” and “not something,” emphasizing subtle shifts in perception and meaning.

Grand Prize: NAKANE Gaku, Contemplation on Borders, h36.0×w54.0×d53.0cm

The Merit Prize was awarded to Helmie Brugman for David XVIII. The work is part of an ongoing series that reshapes classical ideals into vulnerable, genderless child figures. Using clay as a material that allows repetition and variation, Brugman works from a single mold, treating each figure differently. Traces of the making process remain visible, emphasizing imperfection, change, and transformation. The work raises questions about identity, idealization, and the limits of control over human existence.

Merit Prize: Helmie BRUGMAN, David XVIII, h115.0×w40.0×d30.0cm

Honorable Mentions

Ray Brown received an Honorable Mention for Gourd Vase, a utilitarian work focused on form, surface, and volume. Brown’s practice centers on creating pottery that encourages attentive use and contemplation, with an emphasis on confident lines, pressurized volumes, and energetic surface decoration.

Daniel Chau was recognized for Narrative, a group of sculptural pots that explore the relationship between form, memory, and repetition. Chau’s work emphasizes fluency developed through repeated making, with surfaces shaped through erasure, carving, and refinement over time.

Ishida Kazuya received an Honorable Mention for Bizen Wild Porcelain Jar, made using porcelain clay personally mined in Bizen. The work reflects Ishida’s engagement with material preparation, technique, and inherited knowledge, and explores the future possibilities of Bizen porcelain through the universal form of the jar.

Left — Honorable Mention: Ray BROWN, Gourd Vase, h15.2×w10.2×d10.2cm
Middle — Honorable Mention: Daniel CHAU, Narrative, left: h18.0×w15.5×d15.5cm, middle: h16.0×w14.5×d15.0cm, right: h17.0×w14.5×d15.0cm
Right — Honorable Mention: ISHIDA Kazuya, Bizen Wild Porcelain Jar, h38.5×w41.0×d41.0cm

Judges

• Kakurezaki Ryuichi (Ceramic Artist)
• Kikuchi Atsuki (Art Director)
• Shomura Misato (Deputy Director, Curatorial Section, The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu)
• Daicho Tomohiro (Chief Curator, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto)
• Hatakeyama Koji (Metal Artist)
• Kikuchi Misao (Director, Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial Tomo Museum)
• Shimazaki Keiko (Chief Curator, Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial Tomo Museum)