[Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.] 33 winning works announced for the 4th art contest, which explores the theme of “being yourself”!
Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. Press release: October 3, 2025 To Members of the Press The 33 winning works from the 4th Art Contest, which explored the theme of “Being Yourself,” have been announced! Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President: Shigehiko Kazuhara) held its 4th art contest in
collaboration with the Disability Independence Promotion Organization (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Akihiro Matsunaga; hereinafter referred to as “Paralym Art”), a general incorporated association with which it has an official partnership agreement. Based on our belief that “everyone is born unique,” we are pleased to announce the results of our art contest, in which participants freely expressed the various differences that each of us possess, that is, our “uniqueness.” ◆Art Contest Theme Drawing “yourself” Express your own individuality through art. ◆Number of applications: 149 works ◆Judging Method Mitsubishi Pencil Group employees judged the entries posted on the dedicated website operated by the Paralym Art Office. The judging process consisted of a comprehensive evaluation of two criteria: “How well the entry expressed the individual’s personality” and “An explanation of why the entry was created in this way.” [Results Announcement] ◆Grand Prize (1 work)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/28890/289/28890-289-536efb18074f928d812a3cf2f25f993b-1908×1322.jpg
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/28890/289/28890-289-88298a21f0aebc69425fef3b8f648b6e-840×1188.jpg “Moonlit Night and Pampas Grass” by Anemo My thoughts on this work One of my disabilities is delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, which makes it difficult for me to wake up in the morning. Ever since I was old enough to understand, I’ve had a very hard time functioning in society. I’m active at night, when everyone else is asleep, and the night is my friend. I’m well aware of the beauty of the night. I thought this was what made me “me,” so I drew a full moon floating in the pitch black night. I had some difficulty drawing the pampas grass leaves, but I also have a developmental disorder, so I imagine my inner self is probably just as complicated… I think this is also part of who I am. Thank you very much for your cooperation. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/28890/289/28890-289-145060fd93088edd05dbc310d050ef5d-1788×1257.jpg “Being Yourself” by Ray My thoughts on this work This piece can be enjoyed upside down. When I first heard about being myself, I drew a wolf, but I wasn’t satisfied, so I was watching TV when I heard the word “adventure.” It suddenly occurred to me that being myself is the wave. So I drew a picture of the ocean. I was completely convinced. The mountain in the picture represents the wall that occasionally appears in front of me. When turned upside down, it becomes the night sky and a calm sea. The “waves” of my own individuality are: when the waves are raging, my heart is raging too, and when the waves are calm, my heart is calm too. The waves are free, and so is the mind. I tell the waves to stay calm, and continue moving forward today. ◆POSCA Award (5 works)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/28890/289/28890-289-ee77bb8f7bb3907a1c1abf5890682120-1840×1297.jpg “My Color” by yuiko My thoughts on this work I love toco toucans. This toco toucan is very colorful. I think the colors that come to mind, the colors that people feel, and the colors that they express when they see a toco toucan are different for each person. Some people, like me, draw it colorfully, while others may draw it in blue, red, yellow, or black and white. Just as each person perceives, sees, and draws different colors, each person’s personality, way of feeling, and way of expressing themselves are also different. But I hope we can all live our lives respecting each other’s differences. I believe this leads to each person’s individuality. I think this toucan is a colorful piece that reflects my own feelings and is very much like me. This toucan looks like it’s smiling. I hope to continue living my life with a smile, being true to myself, just like this toucan. I love toco toucans, I love plants, I love drawing colorful pictures, and drawing is living. That’s what I think makes me who I am.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/28890/289/28890-289-9436f9c2375dea9cdf246b75b35abebf-1000×706.jpg “This is what it means to be yourself” by Kamijo Mika 〇Thoughts on this work For this piece, I colorfully colored the background with Posca markers and used a black pen to draw original characters (animal and human-like) that express my individuality. I’ve been creating and drawing original characters since I started drawing. My individuality = original characters, so that’s why I chose this piece.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/28890/289/28890-289-ceee7daea130b736e60513350b245973-2457×1855.jpg “Move Slowly” by Ichigo Thoughts on my work For me, being true to myself means being slow at everything and being a perfectionist. While this can be a source of hardship for me, I also see it as a
personality trait that helps me when I’m drawing. I represented my slowness as a turtle, and drew a woman snuggling up to the turtle and saying “thank you.” I also represented my slowness as dusk at the end of the day. I represented my perfectionism as a puzzle, which gives you a sense of accomplishment. I love fashion, so I added buttons to the flowers.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/28890/289/28890-289-1a15d37c6fa1543f02bff9daafa91365-1534×1085.jpg “Draw your favorite picture” by tomoko 〇Thoughts on the work I think the best way to draw is to do it while enjoying it and enjoying it. When I was little, I hated drawing because I was afraid of being rejected. I drew this with the hope that no one else would shrink back like I did.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/28890/289/28890-289-565a96af06e19a1ed92892d0e46a6e8a-1736×2381.jpg “Footprints” by Emilie Thoughts on my work My footprints. I’ve been interacting with art since I was old enough to understand. To become who I am today, I’ve learned about art, thought about it, searched for originals, taught it, played with it, enjoyed it, felt all messy, and even left it, but now I feel the same way I did when I first started. That’s why my paintings are filled with the happy smiles of a new beginning. But I still haven’t finished painting enough. I will continue to interact with art so that this smile will continue. ◆EMOTT Award (5 works) “En’i Sen” by Ray “Small Happiness – ‘I Wanted to See You!!'” by Yukibo “Blue World” by Tawachan “My Emotions” by Martin “The World Inside My Head” by Yakken ◆Uni Award (20 works) “A Statement from the Unconscious Within Me” by Information Qualification Examination “Eat” by torayu “Playing with Water” by Yoshi “Daily Life” by Tarosuke “Ginkgo” by 323 Chikotan “Jewels resonating on a dolphin’s back” by yukari “It’s good to be together” by Anzu of Studio Hand “Everyday Scenes” by tontonkikaku “Rainbow Zoo” by Kouki Hasebe “I Was There, Beyond a Cut” by Kaori Nishio “Roses and Wine” by Yumi Kikuchi “Colorful Wolf” by Na “Towards Tomorrow” by Hi-kun’s Museum “Swaying” by Atsuko Tanaka “Whale’s Walk” by Karen Nagaoka “A World Painted with Individuality” by NAMY “Everyone’s Lively” by R&B “Living with Two Hearts” by banri “My Own Flower” by Yuka “I Bloom” by Darioriri For more details about the works, please visit the Paralym Art official website. The artist’s own comments on the works are posted in their original text. ◆Event URL https://paralymart.or.jp/archives/22462 About Paralym Art This is an initiative of the Disability Independence Promotion Organization, which provides artwork by people with disabilities to companies and individuals and pays artists’ fees. Its primary goal is to support people with disabilities who are unable to participate in society and who are struggling financially, and it promotes their social participation and economic independence through art. Artist registration is free, and as of June 2025, approximately 400 people have registered. Paralym Art not only promotes the independence of people with disabilities, but also continues to create spaces where they can demonstrate their talents and take on new challenges.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/28890/289/28890-289-4dc346fce26276476dd76967817e8008-650×366.jpg ■ Paralym Art Initiatives
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/28890/289/28890-289-baef3272723ccc1fa2491becd0057332-650×230.jpg Paralym Art’s strength lies in the fact that it has already attracted the support of numerous athletes and celebrities as special
supporters, and that the initiative has been adopted by approximately 370 partner companies, ranging from Prime Market-listed companies to small and medium-sized enterprises. By adopting the initiative, partner companies can not only display art, but also use it for IR, PR, and marketing purposes, such as product planning and event hosting. Going forward, we aim to build a sustainable system for “active social participation and economic independence for people with disabilities” and “promotion of SDGs throughout society” by
contributing to improving corporate brand value and increasing sales through this business.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/28890/289/28890-289-956d398d2e7e7fc92be0b68e062b1cbb-449×450.jpg ◆Homepage: https://paralymart.or.jp/association/
https://www.mpuni.co.jp/company/press/index.html *For inquiries regarding products, please contact the Mitsubishi Pencil Customer Service Center. Toll-free number: 0120-321433 For more information about this release