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1_WALL

25th “1_WALL” Photography

Today, modes of artistic expression are becoming increasingly diversified, and together with artists who wholeheartedly seek to express themselves in new ways, Guardian Garden aspires to be a venue for considering new expressive modes. This aspiration derives from our hope that artists will overcome any hurdles in their way by offering them a gallery wall where they can express themselves freely, through their works.

Judging Results

Final Round of Judging

Grand Prize

"Shimmer on Water"
Hinata Okazaki
Born in 2002 / Currently enrolled in the Department of Photography and Communication (Photography Expression Course) at Japan Institute of Photography and Film.
With ongoing modernization, something familiar to us is about to disappear. As Japanese, I think we need to reconsider the things inside us that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Final Round of JudgingWed. August 31, 2022

The third and final round of judging is conducted open to public viewing. The five finalists give presentations of their works on display and their plans for their solo exhibition if they win the Grand Prize. The judges discuss the merits of each finalist’s portfolio, works shown, and presentation, and together decide the winner of the Grand Prize.

“1_WALL” ExhibitionTue. August 23, 2022 - Sat. September 17, 2022

A group exhibition is held spotlighting the five finalists to emerge from the second round of judging. Each finalist is allocated a gallery wall (approx. 3.85m wide and 2.5m high) to display their works. Besides the works themselves, the judges also take into consideration how the finalists use their overall display space and how they show their works.

Success in the Second Round of Judging

Finalists

  • "Hear the Place Sing"

    Shuichiro Abe

    Born in 1996

    Completed a Masters Degree at The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies.

  • "Shimmer on Water"

    Hinata Okazaki

    Born in 2002

    Currently enrolled in the Department of Photography and Communication (Photography Expression Course) at Japan Institute of Photography and Film.

  • "Searching for Yellow Sand"

    Yoshiki Ogino

    Born in 1987

  • "Desert City"

    Zan Jiaqi

    Born in 1995

    Currently majoring in Design at Tokyo Zokei University Graduate School.

  • "is becoming"

    Eiri Motoyoshi

    Born in 1986

    Graduate of Nippon Sport Science University.

Judges’ Encouragement Prizes

  • "Thoughts"

    Momoka Hoshiko

    Selected by Masashi Kohara

  • "Waterside Miniature Garden"

    Manami Hasegawa

    Selected by Yuri Suyama

  • "Sleeping next to a strawflower, I dream of fish"

    Ai Mizobuchi

    Selected by Sayaka Takahashi

  • "Quiet Shore"

    Yasuhiro Sakuma

    Selected by Nao Tsuda

  • "NEW PARK"

    Takahito Kozawa

    Selected by Rika Noguchi

Second Round of JudgingTue. July 05, 2022

A portfolio review is held one-on-one between each entrant and a judge. Here, the entrants are given the opportunity to directly explain the motives behind their works or their production process. After all portfolio reviews are completed, the judges assemble to discuss their assessments and select the five finalists.

Success in First Round of Judging

Entrants Who Successfully Passed the First Round of Judging

  • Shuichiro Abe
  • Hinata Okazaki
  • Yoshiki Ogino
  • Yushi Kaku
  • Kohei Kawazu
  • Wei Zihan
  • Masa Kudo
  • Takahito Kozawa
  • Cui HangYu
  • Yasuhiro Sakuma
  • Zan Jiaqi
  • Joan Zhang
  • Zhang Jiayuan
  • Manami Hasegawa
  • Momoka Hoshiko
  • Ai Mizobuchi
  • Kei Murata
  • Eiri Motoyoshi
  • Sae Yuda
  • Rohi.

Portfolio JudgingSat. June 11, 2022 - Mon. July 04, 2022

Judging is performed based on entrants’ work files and data. The judges, all prominent in their respective fields – design, illustration, photography, etc. – plus members of the secretariat, render their judgments from various perspectives. Twenty entrants are selected to continue on to the second round of judging. Comments by the judges are subsequently sent to all entrants. (In the event of numerous entrants, comment recipients will be decided by the members of the secretariat.)

Grand Prize Award Privileges

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Solo Exhibition at Guardian Garden

300,000 JPY to prepare for the solo exhibition

Scheduled to take place in April-June,2023

The Grand Prize winner receives the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition at Guardian Garden roughly one year after the “1_WALL” Exhibition. The gallery is provided free of charge, and the winner is presented 300,000 JPY to prepare for the show. Publicity assistance, including support in preparing a show leaflet, is also provided.

THE SECOND STAGE at GG

This series of exhibitions features former participants in “1_WALL” competitions who passed the first round of judging. All entrants meeting those qualifications are eligible. To date, exhibitions have focused attention on up-and-coming art directors, graphic designers, illustrators and photographers.

ARTIST Page

Finalists in “1_WALL” competitions (entrants who have passed the first and second rounds of judging) can have their name registered on the ARTIST page accessible on the Guardian Garden website.

Judges

  • Masashi Kohara

    (Curator)

    As a curator at the Izu Photo Museum, he has organized exhibitions including “Nobuyoshi Araki Photobook Exhibition: Ararchy,” “Manabu Miyazaki: The Pencil of Nature” and “Tazuko Masuyama: Until Everything Becomes a Photograph.” He also curated “It’s a Small World: Imperial Festivals and Human Exhibitions.” He directed the documentary film “The Man Who Became a Camera: Photographer Takuma Nakahira,” and is recipient of the Koen Shigemori Photography Critic Award and The Photographic Society of Japan’s Scholastic Achievement Award, among others. He is an Associate Professor at Tokyo Polytechnic University and a Part-time lecturer at Kanagawa University and others.

    
    

  • Yuri Suyama

    (Designer)

    Born in 1983. His major works include Elein’s Diary (Elein Fleiss), La plaque sensible (Risaku Suzuki), And a Pinch of Irony with a Hint of Love (Yurie Nagashima) and The Absence of Mark Manders (Mark Manders).

  • Sayaka Takahashi

    (Gallery Director of PGI)

    Born in Chiba Prefecture. Studied Literature at Waseda University under Osamu Hiraki. In 1998, she participated as a volunteer at the Higashikawa International Photo Festival, and from 2003 through 2010 served as the festival’s on-site production leader and assistant director. Since the winter of 1998, she has been involved in work relating to photographic preservation and display at Photo Gallery International (PGI), where as Director she is in charge of exhibition planning and operation.

  • Nao Tsuda

    (Photographer)

    Born in Kobe in 1976. Traveling the globe, through his camera lens he continuously depicts the ongoing relationship between man and nature tracing back to ancient times. Since 2001 the focus of his work has been numerous exhibitions both in Japan and abroad. His photo collections include SMOKE LINE (AKAAKA), Storm Last Night (AKAAKA) and Elnias Forest (handpicked). He currently serves as a Visiting Professor at Osaka University of Arts.

  • Rika Noguchi

    (Photographer)

    Born in 1971 in Saitama City, currently living in Naha, Okinawa. In 1994 she graduated from Nihon University’s College of Art, Department of Photography. She began production of photographic works during he university years, and has been active both in Japan and abroad mainly with exhibitions of her works. She has also participated in numerous international exhibitions of contemporary art, most recently the 21st Biennale of Sydney, “SUPERPOSITION: Equilibrium & Engagement” (2018).