The British-Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum has won a Japanese prize worth £100,000 in recognition of her lifetime achievement in sculpture. She is among five international recipients of the Praemium Imperiale Award, presented by the Japan Art Association, under its honorary patron, Prince Hitachi. Born in Beirut to Palestinian parents, Hatoum has worked in London since 1975. She currently has a show at White Cube Bermondsey (until 3 November).
The South African artist William Kentridge, who has an anti-Apartheid background, was given a similar award. Although awarded for “painting”, he uses drawing, sculpture, film, music and performance in his art. “Painting is actually the one form that I don’t practice as an artist”, he told The Art Newspaper.
The other three recipients are the German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter for music, the Japanese Kabuki actor Bando Tamasaburo for theatre/film and the US couple Tod Williams & Billie Tsien for architecture. Williams & Tsien designed the 2012 Barnes Foundation building in Philadelphia and the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago (due to open in 2021). The Praemium Imperiale prizes will be presented in a ceremony in Tokyo on 16 October.
