Princess celebrates laureates of 2023 Praemium Imperiale at ceremony in Tokyo

TOKYO: October 18, 2023 – Her Imperial Highness Princess Hitachi paid homage to the laurates of the 2023 Praemium Imperiale on behalf of His Imperial Highness Hitachi Prince Hitachi, honorary patron of the Japan Art Association, at the Awards Ceremony held at the Meiji Kinenkan on October 18, 2023.

The ceremony began with opening remarks from Mr. Hisashi Hieda, Chairman of the Japan Art Association. This was followed by congratulatory speeches from International Advisors, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton (USA), Lord Patten of Barnes (UK), Mr. Lamberto Dini (Italy), Prof. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann (Germany) and Mr. Serge Degallaix on behalf of Mr. Jean-Pierre Raffarin (France).

Princess Hitachi gave each laureate their medal, and the Trustees of the Japan Art Association presented them with their Testimonial Letters and the 15 million-yen Honorariums.

The 2023 laureates are Vija Celmins, Painting (USA); Olafur Eliasson, Sculpture (Iceland/Denmark); Diébédo Francis Kéré, Architecture (Burkina Faso/Germany); Wynton Marsalis, Music (USA) and Robert Wilson, Theatre/Film (USA).