Yoko Ono

Lifetime Achievement Award in Art

Japanese-American conceptual and performance artist Ms. Yoko Ono is the recipient of the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award in Art, conferred by the International Peace Alliance (IPA-AIP). This distinguished honor recognizes her revolutionary contributions to contemporary art, her decades of peace activism, and her profound influence on generations of artists worldwide.

Born in Tokyo in 1933 and emerging from the experimental art scene of the 1960s in both Tokyo and New York, Ms. Ono has consistently challenged conventional boundaries between audience and artist, object and idea. Her early "instructional pieces"—works that invite the viewer to actively complete the art—redefined the nature of artistic authorship. Her famed Canvas, Hammer, Chain, Nails (1966) invited viewers to embed their own physical presence into the work, while Bag Piece (1964) and Cut Piece (1964) broke new ground in performance art by confronting issues of identity, vulnerability, and consent.

Ms. Ono’s book Grapefruit (1964) is widely regarded as a milestone of conceptual art, presenting more than 150 poetic, action-oriented instructions that blend Eastern philosophy and Western avant-garde spirit. Play It By Trust (1966), an all-white chessboard, and Ceiling Painting/YES Painting (1966) similarly reflect her belief in participation, affirmation, and collective experience.

Throughout her long and multifaceted career, Ms. Ono has blurred the lines between art and activism. Her public projects with John Lennon—Bed-In, Bagism, and War is Over!—became iconic peace performances. Later works like Wish Tree (1996–present) and Voice Piece for Soprano (1961) continue to invite global audiences into rituals of hope, healing, and catharsis.

Ms. Ono’s extraordinary contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades across music, film, and humanitarian efforts. Her distinguished honors include a Primetime Emmy Award (2022) for The Beatles: Get Back, multiple Grammy Awards for Double Fantasy (1982) and Gimme Some Truth (2001), and a PGAAward (2022). She has also received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement (2009), the Observer Ethical Award for Lifetime Achievement (2015), the Icon Award from Attitude magazine, and the NME Inspiration Award (2016), among others. These honors reflect the breadth of her influence—not only in contemporary art and performance but across multiple creative disciplines committed to truth, innovation, and peace.

Ms. Yoko Ono’s unwavering commitment to transforming art into a shared, healing force affirms the ethos of the International Peace Alliance | Alliance Internationale de la Paix: that through culture, creativity, and dialogue, peace is not only possible—but already underway.