HONG KONG SAR - 21 December 2023 - The inaugural "Art Futures Awards", co-organised by the Academy of Visual Arts (AVA) under the School of Creative Arts (SCA) at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and the art organisations art-at-all and IAE (HK), announced the winners at the Award Ceremony held on 20 December at HKBU's Kai Tak Campus.

The top prize of this first-of-its-kind international art event in Asia was bestowed upon Miss Erina Yoshimura, a highly talented young artist representing Kyoto City University of Arts, Japan. For a complete list of award winners, please refer to the attached Appendix.

Two prizes designated for Hong Kong artists were also presented at the ceremony. Miss Lau Jin-ki from the Hong Kong Art School was presented the "Chan Kwan Biu Memorial Foundation" Art Futures - Hong Kong Prize 2023, and Miss He Chen from HKBU was awarded the "Simon Suen Foundation/ Sun Museum" Art Futures - Hong Kong Prize 2023.

The award scheme is dedicated to promoting and championing the achievements of outstanding emerging artists, and celebrating the exceptional performance of recent graduates in the field of visual arts and associated contemporary art practices in Asia.

The Award Ceremony was graced by the attendance of esteemed guests including Professor Raymond Fung Wing-kee, Advisor of Art Futures Awards, Member of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Board, Member of the Task Force on Harbourfront Developments of the Harbourfront Commission, and Museum Expert Adviser of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department; Dr Frankie Yeung Wai-shing, Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council; Professor Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) cum Dean of Graduate School of HKBU; and Dr Albert Chau, Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) and Acting Dean of Arts of HKBU.

In his remarks, Mr Kalen Lee Wing-ki, Acting Director of the Academy of Visual Arts and Associate Dean (Research) of School of Creative Arts of HKBU, said: "The award scheme is the first attempt, a bold attempt, a caring attempt, and a visionary attempt, to celebrate the success of contemporary artists-to-be across Asia."

The Award Ceremony was also honoured by the presence of internationally renowned and esteemed judges. They included Dr Zoe Butt, Vietnam-based curator and writer from Australia; Mr Yoshitomo Nara (奈良美智), internationally acclaimed Japanese artist; Ms Tina Pang (彭綺雲), Curator at M+ Museum; Dr Michael Whittle, Japan-based artist and scholar; Professor Kurt Chan (陳育強), Museum Expert Adviser of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, artist and educator; and Mr Hou Hanru (侯瀚如), former Artistic Director of MAXXI, National Museum of the 21st Century Arts in Rome.

To enable the public to appreciate the exemplary works of these young art talents, a selection of their exceptional pieces will be presented in Hong Kong from 21 December 2023 to 14 January 2024 at the Awardee Exhibition at the University's Kai Tak Campus. Members of the public interested in the exhibition are required to make an online reservation via this link.

While this is the first year of the Awards, it has attracted an overwhelming level of recognition and participation. Entries have been submitted by over 70 colleges and institutions from across Asia, including Mainland China, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The esteemed judges from across the globe convened at HKBU and delivered two public panel discussions, sharing their insightful perspectives and inspirational experiences in the realm of art creation.

Hashtag: #artfuturesawards