A Work to Watch Dai Saito’s Campfire: FACE Exhibition 2025 @ SOMPO Museum of Art (Until March 23)

The “FACE Exhibition” is a competition that supports emerging artists regardless of age or career. Currently, the “FACE Exhibition 2025” is being held at the SOMPO Museum of Art, showcasing 57 award-winning works (including 9 prize-winning pieces). This year, 1,312 works were submitted nationwide, ranging from the youngest artist at 8 years old to the oldest at 97. With an acceptance rate of just 23 times—the highest ever—this year’s grand prize went to Dai Saito for his work Campfire.

Dai Saito was born in Miyagi Prefecture in 2001. After graduating from the Painting Course of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tohoku University of Art and Design in 2024, he is now enrolled in the Painting Research Area of the Graduate School of Arts and Culture at the same university. Campfire draws inspiration from his personal camping experiences, where he immersed himself in nature, experiencing solitude and a certain sense of fear that differs from daily life. The composition features a dynamic interplay of white, red, green, and blue strokes in the sky, contrasted with well-defined mountain ranges forming the land. The red-tinted earth evokes the image of campfire flames, with sparks rising into the air as white lines disappearing into the sky. Simultaneously, the greenish-blue sky transitions into an image of a deep sea, with the white lines resembling fish swimming energetically through it. The work transforms a single event—campfire—into a powerful expression that evokes both fire and water as fundamental elements of existence through imagination.

Why not discover your favorite among these remarkable works by emerging artists whose future endeavors are highly anticipated?

Additionally, submissions for “FACE Exhibition 2026” will be accepted from Monday, September 8 to Thursday, October 9 this year. For details on how to apply, please contact the FACE2026 Secretariat (Yamato Transport Co., Ltd., Tokyo Art Branch Office FACE2026 Secretariat; E-mail: kuroneko_sompo@y-logi.com).

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FACE Exhibition 2025

First launched in 2012 as a public exhibition aimed at becoming a “gateway for emerging artists regardless of age or affiliation,” FACE Exhibition celebrates its 13th edition this year. A total of 1,312 works were submitted by artists nationwide, with 57 selected after rigorous evaluation (including nine award-winning pieces). To further support emerging artists, this year’s exhibition introduced a new “U30 Frontier Award” for selected artists under 30 years old.

Exhibition Period: March 1 (Sat) – March 23 (Sun), 2025

Venue: SOMPO Museum of Art (1-26-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)

Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Last admission: 5:30 PM)

Closed: Mondays

Admission Fee: General ¥800; Free for high school students and younger

Organizers: SOMPO Museum of Art, Yomiuri Shimbun

Special Sponsors: SOMPO Holdings

Special Cooperation: Sompo Japan Insurance Inc.

Supporters: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Shinjuku City