A local artist is to spend one month as an artist-in-residence at Tokyo's Youkobo Art Space, after winning a competition organised by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and the Valletta 2018 Foundation. 

Sarah Maria Scicluna beat nine other artists, including one Japanese artist, to the Divergent Thinkers exhibition prize, which was announced today at the Malta Maritime Museum. She is expected to take up her Tokyo residency in August 2017. 

Divergent Thinkers challenges young artists to exhibit drawings, photographs, objects and other material showing how creative problems can be resolved in different and unusual ways. This year, artists had to produce works under the theme ‘Navigate'.

The exhibition is running at the Malta Maritime Museum until Friday November 18. Aside from Ms Scicluna, participating artists include Aidan Celeste, Chiara Cassar, David Falzon, Janis Luste, Justine Navarro, Keita Onishi, Lara Manara, Sam Sultana and Roderick Camilleri. Some of the works on display will also be showcased during the European Youth Conference in March 2017, as part of the EU Presidency programme.

Curator Raphael Vella said “Divergent Thinkers has established itself as the main platform for emerging artists in Malta. It encourages innovative thinking and artistic projects, focuses on the actual processes of artistic creation and commissions new work from the selected participants.”

Aġenzija Żgħażagħ CEO Miriam Theuma said she was excited about the opportunities Ms Scicluna's Tokyo residency might offer the young artist, saying the cultural immersion would "surely expand and enrich future artistic endeavours". 

For Valletta 2018 Foundation chairman Jason Micallef said the exhibition "gives young artists a new professional experience". He said the Valletta 2018 programme was now being consolidated. 

Divergent Thinkers is organised by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ in collaboration with the Valletta 2018 Foundation, with the support of the Malta Maritime Museum, the EU Japan Fest and Japan Media Arts Festival.