Commendation for the 2023 (74th) Art Encouragement Prize of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Lucille Reyboz and Yusuke Nakanishi, co-founders and co-directors of the KYOTOGRAPHIE International Photography Festival, were awarded the “2023 (74th) Art Encouragement Prize of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology”, which is given annually to individuals who have made outstanding achievements in their respective fields of art, or whose achievements have opened new horizons in their respective fields.

Reason for the Award: After the Great East Japan Earthquake, Lucille and Yusuke moved from Tokyo to Kyoto and established KYOTOGRAPHIE International Photography Festival in under two years. In 2023, expanding, they presented the first edition of the new music festival, the KYOTOPHONIE Borderless Music Festival. These events are particularly significant as they have introduced to Japan artists from France, African countries, Brazil, and numerous other countries with which they have close ties. The festival main space is located in the Demachi Masugata shopping district in Kyoto City, where they are actively engaged with the local community.

“We want to share this Award with our wonderful team, our partners and the audience who gave us the inspiration, support and strength to continue over the years. On April 13th we will open KYOTOGRAPHIE‘s 12th edition and KYOTOPHONIE’s 2nd edition. We look forward to continuing this journey!”