Tomokazu Matsuyama Receives Pen Creator Award 2025

Tomokazu Matsuyama has received the Pen Creator Award 2025. This award honors creators across all genres for their achievements, and this year five individuals and groups, including Matsuyama, were selected. 

As a singular artist who continuously reimagines the world through the lens of identity, Matsuyama held his first large-scale solo exhibition in Tokyo, ’FIRST LAST’. In parallel with this exhibition examining his own roots, he also pursued creative collaborations across diverse industries with venerable institutions such as the traditional Japanese confectioner Toraya and Nishijin-ori textile house HOSOO. His approach, which he calls a “tribute,” drew attention for its flexible linkage between art and society. His recognition was further bolstered by the expansion of his work within major museum collections in the United States, reflecting his steadily growing international acclaim. 

A feature article on the award is published on Pen Online as well as in the magazine’s January 2026 issue. 

 

Pen Online: https://www.pen-online.jp/article/020217.html 
Pen January 2026 Issue: https://www.pen-online.jp/magazine/pen/572-artbook.html 

 

Photo by Masahiro Noguchi