Kyoto Prefecture Experience vibrant talent and new trends in art for three days. 40 young artists from Japan and abroad gather at the Kyoto National Museum Meiji Kotokan! “ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO 2026” to be held

[Kyoto Prefecture] Experience vibrant talent and new trends in art for three days. 40 young artists from Japan and abroad gather at the Kyoto National Museum Meiji Kotokan Gallery! “ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO 2026” to be held ​
Kyoto Prefecture Press release: October 23, 2025 To Members of the Press [Kyoto Prefecture] Experience vibrant talent and new trends in art for three days. 40 young artists from Japan and abroad gather at the Kyoto National Museum Meiji Kotokan Gallery! “ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO 2026” to be held Period: Saturday, February 21, 2026 to Monday, February 23, 2026 (Holiday)
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Ryudai Takano and Yuriko Sasaoka Join the Advisory Board for the First Time, and the Public Selection Committee Also Has a New Structure Kyoto Prefecture, the Kyoto Shimbun Shimbun, and the ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO Executive Committee are pleased to announce the launch of “ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO 2026,” an artist-led art fair set in Kyoto, a city steeped in history and tradition. AFK2026 (Abbreviated as AFK2026) will be held from Saturday, February 21, 2026 to Monday, February 23, 2026 (national holiday). This fair, now in its ninth year, aims to inspire the next generation of artists to take flight and to foster direct dialogue between visitors and artists. Under the theme of “Singularity of Art,” directed by Noboru Tsubaki, the fair promotes the creation of a new art system that transcends the boundaries of traditional art fairs. The exhibiting artists are 40 promising young artists selected through recommendations from the Advisory Board (artists who recommend young artists) and a public call for submissions. Joining the Advisory Board for the first time this year are Ryudai Takano, who garnered attention for his exhibition at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, celebrating its 30th anniversary, and Yuriko Sasaoka, who participated as an invited artist at AFK2019 and is now enjoying international success. Along with leading artists such as Izumi Kato, Kohei Nawa, and Kenji Yanobe, the Advisory Board will recommend the next generation of talent. In addition to the director, the committee responsible for selecting artists from the public call for entries includes three members: Hiromi Kurosawa, Kenjiro Hosaka, and Hirotaka Yamamoto. Works by artists selected through recommendations from the advisory board and a multifaceted review by the selection committee will be displayed in the main venue. The main venue, the Kyoto National Museum Meiji Kotokan, is a historic building completed in 1895 and designated a national Important Cultural Property in 1969. Designed by Tokuma Katayama, known as the “court architect,” the exterior features French Renaissance-Baroque styles, and together with the fountain extending from the main gate and Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker,” it symbolizes Kyoto’s cultural landscape. Since 2024, AFK has used the normally closed entrance and central hall as its main venue, but this time, the exhibition area has been expanded, making ample use of the exhibition rooms, allowing visitors to enjoy the intersection of a wide range of expressions, from paintings to installations, videos, and sculptures. Come experience the vibrant talent of the historic city of Kyoto and the moment when a new artistic trend is born. ​ *Titles omitted in the text
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/5484/1045/5484-1045-493bbe3e23625fc951b5bd85007fbeae-261×149.jpg Kyoto National Museum Meiji Kotokan (Central Hall) 2025 ■ Message from the Director
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/5484/1045/5484-1045-ec92fb22b6f27b5b9e8d5bdac4a50109-128×153.jpg ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO Director Noboru Tsubaki Early summer 2006. I was in Toronto. There were several spin-off projects from the “UN Boy” exhibition held at Art Tower Mito in 2003, and as part of them, a digest version of the UN Boy was to be exhibited. I have many memories from that time, like meeting a friend who developed Houdini and stopping by Boston for the Media Lab, but now all I can remember is the story of Mr. K, a transplant who helped with the exhibition. Space constraints prevent me from going into detail, but in short, “He holds a monthly art sale in the park, and with the proceeds from that sale, he’s able to buy a house in the suburbs where he lives with his wife and two children.” “Ordinary people who live in Toronto come to buy his art all the time.” “After about 10 years, I became popular and signed a contract with a gallery.” I was completely blown away by his mumbling of this fact, which would be unthinkable in Japan. Around the same time, I was excited to discover that the graduation exhibitions of the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins in London had been turned into art fairs. There’s no doubt that the confidence I felt then—that “you can make a living from painting!”—is what led to the 9th AFK. I want to work with my staff to invent even more stages so that the artists who have gathered in the freezing cold of Kyoto can experience the same innovation core that I experienced. ■ 16 Advisory Board Members (Artists who recommend young artists) Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/5484/1045/5484-1045-7ab07e71a9e0d88dc61184c68f6559ec-602×388.jpg ■ Public recruitment selection committee Through multifaceted judging by contemporary art experts, we were able to ensure a fair and diverse selection process.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/5484/1045/5484-1045-5ffbd1c3adc5876f38985378729f59fb-940×296.png ■ Featured Artists [Young Artists: 40 groups] [ ] indicates
recommended artists or those selected through public competition. *As of October 23, 2025 Akiya Aimi [Kaori Usukubo] / Fumimaro Ayano [Yuichiro Tamura] / Koji Ando [Open call] / Ikenana [Robert Platt] / Nanae Ijichi [Open call] / Ibuki Inoue [Kaori Usukubo] / Iyanaga Yuriko [open call] / Ogasawara Shu [Yanobe Kenji] / Okada Mayumi [Tsuda Michiko] / Kobayashi Taro [Nawa Kohei] / Sakai Chiaki [Kato Izumi] / Sawa Amo Aiko [open call] / Shinagawa Mika [open call] / Shiraishi Kosai [Kitou Kengo] / Shirahata Hanako [Ikeda Mitsuhiro] / Takahashi Rin [Tamura Yuichiro] / Cho Eunyoung [open call] / Tsuji Daiki [Sasaoka Yuriko] / Tsubakino Narumi [Oba Daisuke] / Thomas Pepito Vauthier (Thomas Pepito Vauthier) [Open Call] / Manami Nakata [Shinji Omaki] / Daisuke Nagata [Ryudai Takano] / Rin Nakanishi [Yotta] / Yuki Nakatani [Open Call] / Ai Nariyama [Mai Miyake] / Manaka Shame 9↙ [Noboru Tsubaki] / Sho Hasegawa [Open Call] / Sara Haruta [Daisuke Oba] / Satomi Hirose [Shinji Omaki] / Ikuya Hirota [Kohei Nawa] / Takumi Horie [Michiko Tsuda] / Akane Masaki [Robert Platt] / Hinako Matsuoka [Open Call] / Yuho Matsuoka [Kengo Kito] / Mio Mishima [Yuriko Sasaoka] / Min Li-San (Min Li-Sen) [Mai Miyake] / Monami Yabe [Noboru Tsubaki] / Masaki Yamashita [Mitsuhiro Ikeda] / Rebecca Drolen (Rebecca Drolen) [Osamu James Nakagawa] / Liliana Guzman (Liliana Guzman) [Osamu James Nakagawa] ■ Images of works by participating artists (selection)
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/5484/1045/5484-1045-1d64badaecbbea11455298b30d3012de-940×394.png ■ Features 1. An experiential fair with direct dialogue between visitors and artists An alternative, lively art fair, created through direct interaction between exhibiting artists and visitors. 2. Selection by the Advisory Board and Open Selection Committee Next-generation talent is selected through recommendations from a leading advisory board and a multifaceted, fair perspective from the open selection committee. 3. Brighten up Kyoto in early spring with a diverse program spanning the entire city. Collaborating with historical architecture and cultural facilities unique to Kyoto. A diverse program will be held throughout the city, coloring Kyoto in early spring. ■ Event Overview ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO 2026
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/5484/1045/5484-1045-4558e3d24baac69228647a151ea6552a-184×138.jpg Kyoto National Museum Meiji Ancient Capital Museum Main venue Venue: Kyoto National Museum Meiji Ancient Capital Building (527 Chayamachi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City) Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026 to Monday, February 23, 2026 (Holiday) Time: 9:30-17:00 (last entry 16:30) URL: https://artists-fair.kyoto/ ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO Executive Committee TEL: 075-414-4219 (10:00-17:00 / Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) Organizer: Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto Shimbun, ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO Executive Committee Sponsored by: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kyoto Association of Corporate Executives ■ Event in 2025
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