The 29^th Praemium Imperiale Laureates Announced

On September 12, the laureates of the 29^th Praemium Imperiale in Honor of Prince Takamatsu (organized by the Japan Art Association), which publicly honors individual world artists, were announced. In relation to art, the laureates are Shirin NESHAT, a female filmmaker based in New York, who has poetically and provocatively depicted the state of women in contemporary Islamic society in photography, video installations and film, in the Painting category; El ANATSUI, a Ghanaian sculptor based in Nigeria, known for his majestic metal wall-hanging created from discarded metal bottle tops, woven together with copper wire in the Sculpture category; and Spanish architect Rafael MONEO, who designs buildings that blend into the urban space in harmony with the environment while emphasizing the historical background of the land in the Architecture category. (Japanese)