Marina Abramović and Peter Doig Win Praemium Imperiales
186July 16, 2025
Serbian Conceptual and performance artistMarina Abramovićhas been named the winner of Japan’s 2025Praemium Imperialeaward for sculpture, while Scottish-born figurative painterPeter Doigreceived the honor for painting. The international prize has been awarded annually since 1989 by the Japan Art Association, which is under the patronage of Prince Hitachi, and additionally encompasses the fields of architecture, theater/film, and music. Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto De Moura won the accolade for architecture, while Belgian filmmaker Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker took home the prize for theater/film and Hungarian-born pianist András Schiff won the award for music. Each prize recipient is awarded ¥15 million (roughly $101,000). A grant of ¥5 million earmarked for young artists was presented to England’s National Youth Theatre.
Abramović, a two-time winner of the Venice Biennale’s Golden Lion, is widely known for a practice investigating the limits of the body and mind and was lauded for her “fearless exploration of self-expression.” Among her most renowned works areThe Artist Is Present, 2010, a three-month project at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, that saw her sit for eight-hour stretches during which a procession of visitors sat across from her; andRhythm 0, 1974, a six-hour performance in which she laid out seventy-two objects on a table, including a rose, a whip, a scalpel, a gun, and a single bullet, and invited audience members to use them on her.
Doig, a prominent figure in the New Figurative Painting movement and at various points in his career the most expensive living artist, his work achieving record-breaking prices at auction, drew praise for having “redefined the expressive potential of painting.” The artist, who grew up between Trinidad and Canada, is known for frequently dreamlike or uncanny landscapes and portraits characterized by vivid color, distinctive brushwork, and rich emotional depth. Among his notable works are Rosedale, 1991, depicting a manse and bare trees in a snowstorm, and White Canoe, 1990–91, a nighttime water scene.
“The Praemium Imperiale award celebrates the profound connection between life and art. It recognizes the vital role and responsibility of the artist to disrupt society, to create universal awareness, and elevate the mind,” said Abramović in a statement. “Receiving this tremendous recognition is empowering and reminds me that my work is never done. The real performance, the creativity, and the conversation continue with more energy than ever before.”