Short Description:
Presented by Benrido, the Hariban Award combines a 170-year-old analogue technique with contemporary photography. The award was launched in 2014 with the aim of introducing artists and photographers to collotype, an alternative photographic process. Glass plates have been used as collotype printing plates, which is why the award is called “Hariban” because “Hari” means glass plate, and “ban” means printing plate in Japanese. This Award invites professionals and amateurs alike to submit black and white photographs for a chance to win. The winners are carefully selected by a jury of international curators, publishers and artists in the field of photography. The Grand Prize Winner will be invited to a two-week residency in Kyoto, Japan, to collaborate with the master printers of Benrido.
Eligibility: This contest is open to all professional and amateur artists and photographers. People of all ages, nationalities, and locations are welcome.
Program Benefits or Awards:
After a careful jury selection process, the work with the highest number of votes from all entries is selected as the Grand Prize Winner.
Two-week residency
- The Grand Prize Winner will collaborate with the Master Printer of the Benrido Collotype Atelier during the stay in Kyoto. Working closely with printers, the Winner will produce eight collotype prints of the award-winning works.
- The Grand Prize Winner will learn about the origins of the collotype and how it is made through the Collotype Academy’s collotype hand-printing workshop. The winner will receive one postcard-size plate and one 8×10 inch plate at the beginning of the workshop.
- An artist talk and social event will be held with Benrido’s staff and craftspeople.
Solo Exhibition
The 2025 Grand Prize Winner’s collotype prints will be exhibited in a solo exhibition held in the spring of the following year after their residency is complete.
Publication of the artwork in the official catalogue
The winner’s artwork will be included in the official catalogue of the Hariban Award 2025, to be published in April 2026.
*Flights, accommodation, and production expenses will be provided by Benrido. Details to be determined with the Grand Prize Winner.
*The 2025 Grand Prize Winner’s two-week residency in Kyoto will take place from October 2025.
Entry Fee:
The application fee will be US$50 starting from 23:59 on April 30, 2025, JST (Japan Standard Time).
Location: Japan
Deadline: 15 June 2025
Website link:
https://www.benrido.co.jp/haribanaward/
