Art Course: Design and Figurative Art

Realize self-expression
Various techniques
Learn through practice.

This major explores the essence of art from the perspective of artists and creators.
Through various practical productions, we hone our expressive skills and foster free imagination, ideas,
You will master how to turn a concept into a completed piece of work.

Key points for studying this major

  • １All genres
    Learn the basics,
    Further into areas of interest.
    In the first and second years, students acquire foundational knowledge and skills in a wide range of genres, including painting, sculpture, dyeing and crafts, design, and interactive art, to find their own style of expression. From the third year onward, they specialize in these fields.
  • ２Complete the work
    Process and
    You can also learn to improve your human skills.
    Through actual production, students will hone their expressive skills and master how to complete a piece of work. They will also gain a deeper understanding of the possibilities and problems of expression through art history and design theory, improving their human skills.
  • ３Even for beginners.
    Necessary for expression
    Knowledge and
    You can learn the technology from scratch.
    In this major, you can learn the knowledge and techniques necessary for expression from scratch, taught by experienced teachers. Even those who have no prior experience in serious drawing or production can start learning with confidence.

Four-year learning process

  • First grade
    While learning the basic techniques of drawing and CG, students will also learn the basic techniques in four fields of visual arts.
  • Second Year
    Students will gain in-depth knowledge and skills in five fields: painting, sculpture, dyeing and crafts, design, and interactive art.
  • Third grade
    Students choose their specialization from five fields and pursue rich forms of expression.
  • 4th grade
    Students will use what they have learned to create original works and present them at the graduation exhibition.
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Students Voice

Image of Sakura Kajisa, majoring in Design and Figurative Art

Refine your drawing skills, expand your expression.
Four years immersed in creative work.

I chose Otemae University, which is easily accessible and has a painting major, because I wanted to deeply pursue the art of painting. In classes, I am exposed to diverse works not only in painting but also through critiques of various art fields, and I am greatly stimulated by encountering ideas and methods of expression that I would not have thought of myself. At first, I tended to focus on my own work, but now I have developed the ability to objectively observe the works of my classmates and learn from the different approaches to assignments. Another attractive aspect of this university is that I can challenge myself with techniques outside of my specialization. In the dyeing class I took for the first time in my first year, I experienced techniques such as stenciling and tie-dyeing, and I realized the joy of designing and creating something that can be used in everyday life from scratch. Since then, I have taken the class every year, expanding my techniques and continuing to create. The professors, who warmly support these challenges and sincerely address the students' enthusiasm, are the most trustworthy people in the arts.

Design and Figurative Art
Sakura KajisaMr. Miss.
Graduated from Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Oda High School
Kajisa's "Crossover of Learning"
Other
Read Student's Voice here

Pick Up Classes

Art Experience
Kohei MaedaProfessor
Masters, Artist
Image of Professor Kohei Maeda

This class allows students to think about and explore the question "What is art?" through group production. Aimed at first-year students in the Faculty of Architecture & Art, the class learns everything from planning and concepting to techniques for creating artworks. For students, working together to create a huge piece of work that is too big to hold in the hand using everyday materials will not be a simple assignment, but a festival-like project-like production experience. This is a class that we would like to open to all students, regardless of their career path or future aspirations. We would especially recommend this class to students who are looking to improve their role and communication skills within a group.

Dyeing Craft Techniques I
Fumiyo ImafukuProfessor
Master of Arts, Dyeing Artist
(Modern artist)/dyeing researcher
Image of Professor Akiyo Imabuku

In this class, you will dye a yukata from scratch, going through traditional processes such as stencil carving and dye mixing. Traditional craft techniques involve many production steps, and each step requires time to dry, so patience and planning are very important. Therefore, dyeing a yukata cultivates many skills, including perseverance and planning, as well as design composition and color sense. Otemae University is unique in being able to hold such classes, as it has a large studio-style classroom. There are many challenges, such as work not progressing as planned, but the excitement of completing a one-of-a-kind yukata is all the more special.

By research topic

  • ● Explore the expression of color and image
  • ● Floating and flying 3D modeling experience
  • ● Creating works using stencil dyeing and wax-resist dyeing
  • ● Design strategy and branding for companies
  • ● Original illustration picture book production
Faculty of Architecture & Arts
Graduation project here

Students learn basic knowledge and skills in four areas Design and Figurative Art in their first and second years, and then choose the area they would like to further their studies in from their third year onwards.

Painting image

Painting

Hone your "ability to see" and "ability to express."

Using motifs such as still lifes, people, and landscapes, students will hone their "power of observation" and "power of expression." Just as each person has their own unique personality, students will work on their actual creations, aiming to create "a work of their own expression" and "a work that only they can create." The work they undertake as their graduation project will be a large-scale work, so it is by no means easy, but it will give them a real sense of their great growth.

3D modeling image

3D modeling

Understand the shape of things and space.

Touching things and creating shapes with your own hands is also a way to clearly recognize the world. It is important to enrich the world of the senses and express it in relation to society. From basic modeling to 3D printing and installations, you will explore the possibilities of expression by coming into contact with a variety of materials and new media.

Dyeing craft image

Dyeing Crafts

Combining traditional techniques with modern sensibilities.

Students will learn traditional techniques such as paste dyeing and wax-resist dyeing. Through the production of yukatas using stencil dyeing and large wax-resist dyeing panels, students will hone the techniques and expressions necessary for dyeing crafts. Students interested in textile design can also collaborate with companies and try their hand at making presentations aimed at commercialization.

Design Concept

design

Develop visuals that communicate.

This course will deepen your design and illustration skills, which are required in a wide range of fields, including websites, advertising, and branding. You will learn the basics of creativity, expression, and development skills, while also mastering the ability to communicate through presentations of your work. This course is recommended for those who want to contribute to society through excellent visual communication.

Design Concept

"planktos" 2022 (Kyoto Museum of Culture Annex) Katsuki Jincho

Interactive Art

Turning curiosity into reality with technology.

I create artworks using a variety of tools, including video, sound, light, computers, and sensors. For example, the video might change when a person moves, or the light might move in response to sound. I use programming and electronics to transform my ideas into interactive experiences. Drawing inspiration from media art and contemporary art, I explore unprecedented forms of artwork while exploring my own sensibilities.

"planktos" 2022 (Kyoto Museum of Culture Annex) Katsuki Jincho

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Ecole des Beaux Arts de Paris image

The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris has more than 350 years of historyEcole des Beaux-Arts de Paris and
We collaborate to implement exchange programs.

Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris, one of the world's leading institutions of higher education in fine arts, was founded in 1648 under the reign of Louis XIV by Prime Minister Mazarin as the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. With a history spanning more than 350 years, it has produced many artists in the fields of painting, sculpture, Architecture, and more (Architecture has now been separated from the school). In September 2012, our university signed an agreement with Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris to accept one student each for the exchange program. The school has agreements with Musashino Art University, Kyoto City University of Arts, and Tokyo University of the Arts in Japan, but our university is the first to do so outside of an art university.

Exchange student image

The shock of studying abroad,
I want this to lead to growth.

I participated in the program as an exchange student in 2012, and now I am a teacher at this university, where I am engaged in creative activities with the theme of "relationships and distances between nature and people." The reason I decided to study abroad was because I wanted to take a step further in my studies and production of art, utilizing what I learned at university. I was also interested in European history and culture, and the art scene at the time. I hope that you will also experience various shocks through your exchange study abroad. I believe that experiencing the shocks will lead to growth, rather than the results you get in the field.

Kohei MaedaLecturer
Artist

List of majors availableMajor subjects

Architecture Course
Arts Courses