KAI Group Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Hiroaki Endo), a global manufacturer of cutting tools, announced that it has selected the artwork "Overlapping Series, Series of Overlaps" by Rei Mokoreko as the corporate prize winner, the "KAI Award," at the international art award "HERALBONY Art Prize 2026 Presented by Tokyo Tatemono | Brillia," hosted by HERALBONY Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, hereinafter "HERALBONY"). Rei Mokoreko (Japan), "Overlapping Series, Series of Overlaps" (2025) / KAI Award About the Winning Work Rei Mokoreko, creator of this work, produces diverse expressions across painting, illustration, and three-dimensional art with a free-spirited approach unbound by materials or techniques. Drawing inspiration from everyday objects, nature, and the human body, her creative output spans a wide range of scales—from 6 cm magnets to 14 m × 4.8 m shop windows—and features tones ranging from monochrome to vibrant color. For her, painting serves as a form of "sublimation" for unrequited love and a means to "digest" an adolescence shaped by others' expectations. This piece was created through a meditative process of continuously placing colored dots, resulting in thick impasto that creates depth. A defining characteristic is the sense of life imbued in each irregular dot. Selection Rationale and Company Message Since its founding, KAI has upheld the "spirit of the village blacksmith," delivering ease and richness to people's daily lives through tools that support everyday living. The layered oil paint, delicate shading, and rhythmic composition evident in this artwork resonate with KAI's core values of balancing "sharpness and gentleness" and creating new value while respecting diverse sensibilities. With the hope of forging a future where diverse individualities naturally shine within society, KAI selected this unique work that embodies one-of-a-kind harmony for the KAI Award. As a Japan-based global comp