From the Space Between Design and Art — Artists from the Department of Design, Tokyo University of the Arts

We are pleased to announce an upcoming exhibition featuring artists who graduated from the Department of Design at Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo Geidai). The department has long been known for cultivating a broad and profound artistic education, nurturing not only expertise in design, but also intuitive, artistic expression and creative thinking. As a result, it has produced many unique and forward-thinking artists.

The late Masataka Ōyabu, one of the department’s prominent figures, upheld the philosophy that “the foundation and framework of art lie in design,” viewing Japanese art history itself as rooted in design. He carried this belief into his career as a painter. Just as Yokoyama Taikan once taught in the department’s predecessor—the Design Course at the Tokyo Fine Arts School—renowned Nihonga painter Chinami Nakajima was appointed as a professor in the department, bringing fresh energy to its pedagogy. In the spirit of Tenshin Okakura’s “non-dualism,” design and art are not opposites but rather two aspects of the same creative continuum. We believe it is precisely from this in-between space that new forms of value and innovation emerge—especially today, as design grows increasingly diverse and intertwined with the power of art.

This exhibition brings together those who chose to walk the path of the artist within such an environment. Featuring artists active in group exhibitions such as A-Un, ShinPA, and Drawing Illustrated, we aim to present their works within a shared context. We hope this exhibition not only provides a moment of reflection for the artists involved, but also serves as an encouraging message for the next generation.

We invite you to enjoy the rich diversity and captivating expressions that emerge from the dynamic interplay of generations and individual perspectives.

—Kazutoshi Oshimoto, Professor, Tokyo University of the Arts

Exhibition Details

Title: From the Space Between Design and Art — Artists from the Department of Design, Tokyo University of the Arts
Dates: July 8 (Tue) – July 21 (Mon/holiday), 2025
Hours: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Last admission: 15 minutes before closing)
Closed: Monday, July 14
Admission: Free
Organizer: "From the Space Between Design and Art" Executive Committee
Cooperation: Sato Museum of Art

Participating Artists (85 total, in no particular order, honorifics omitted):

Masataka Ōyabu / Chinami Nakajima / Toshiyuki Enoki / Hiroaki Okada / Mihoko Yagi / Shigemi Noritomi / Masako Yamamoto / Shunichi Seki / Fumiko Takeda / Rimako Horikawa / Seiko Katagiri / Yuko Hirota / Atsuko Ōnishi / Kanae Takaoka / Shinobu Nakazawa / Wakako Tamiya / Naoki Imaizumi / Kazutoshi Oshimoto / Hidekatsu Kobayashi / Hajime Sakai / Fuyuki Tazaki / Manabu Ikeda / Miho Kaneko / Hironori Takahashi / Yutaka Abe / Shinichi Kaneko / Kazuyuki Takishita / Takehiko Tsutsumi / Asako Hamaoka / Takenori Fukami / Noriko Tomita / Haruaki Yamamoto / Fumi Watanabe / Shinobu Okabe / Yūji Kanemaru / Mikiko Noji / Akitomo Yagi / Kayo Nagai / Yumi Hayashi / Haruomi Izumi / Etsumichi Inoue / Yoshiko Kawamoto / Takeshi Nagoya / Aran Yasuoka / Keiko Nunoyama / Nana Kadota / Keiko Inoue / Masako Kaneki / Hiromi Morita / Kenichi Aoyama / Tomoko Araki / Yuwa Katō / Saeka Komatsu / Eri Komiya / Kageyoshi Koyanagi / Sunao Maruyama / Kana Satake / Haruka Kanemaru / Kenji Shimizu / Shoko Tamai / Dari Yamada / Eri Karasawa / Shiki Taira / Toshiki Ando / Shōhei Hayashi / Isana Yamada / Wataru Uchida / Megumi Ōkubo / Akika Kurata / Yūji Takahashi / Akika Egami / Shōtarō Murakami / Risei / Erino Kawabe / CAIQIN / Kaori Teraoka / Arie Iwasaki / Rika Ōshima / Shōshin Hyou / Nozomi Hirata / MOKOE / Runa Takasugi / Madoka Gotō / RISA / yuri Yūri / Liisa

Events

Session 1: Sunday, July 13, 14:00–16:00
Talk Event: “What Kind of Teacher Was Chinami Nakajima?”
Featuring Nakajima Chinami and participating artists

Session 2: Saturday, July 19, 14:00–16:00
Talk Event: “What Kind of Teacher Was Masataka Ōyabu?”
Featuring participating artists

Session 3: Monday (holiday), July 21, 14:00–16:00
Documentary Screening + Theme Song Performance
Live performance of the theme song “Map” (written and composed by Runa Takasugi)