Kyoto University of Art and Design Graduate School Diploma Show
We visited the graduation and diploma show at Kyoto University of Art and Design.
Among all the works we saw, the artist whose pieces made the strongest impression on us was Fumika Tsuchitori, a graduate student at Kyoto University of Art and Design.
Fumika Tsuchitori is a painter whose practice centers on the series “I and You,” in which two figures are depicted, and “a scene,” which portrays abstract forms.
Her materials are chiefly oil paint, accented with acrylic and lacquer spray. Many of her works have a high degree of abstraction, offering a deeply resonant viewing experience.
For the exhibition room at Miraikan, she had painted the walls white and the floor clean, essentially building her own white-cube gallery. It must have been enormously demanding physical labor, but for an artist who cares this much about her exhibition space, we cannot help but be impressed.
The Kyoto University of Art and Design graduation and diploma shows are well known for the fact that works are offered for sale on the spot. Fumika Tsuchitori’s diploma works, with the exception of some pieces, came with a price list. Even though we visited on the day before the show opened to the public, most works were already marked sold — a clear sign of her popularity.
Further works were on display at her on-campus studio in a separate building from Miraikan.
On February 8, 2020, when the awards were announced, Tsuchitori was named the recipient of the Graduate School Prize.
After graduation, she plans to open a studio in Kyoto and pursue her practice in earnest. We look forward to seeing what comes next.
