Three Policies Department of Painting, Oil Painting Course
Purposes and Educational Goals (Diploma Policy)
Since the university’s foundation, the Oil Painting Course has remained at the forefront of new movements, and continues to reveal new value systems for painting and art to society at large. We aim to develop artists who take on the challenge of artistic innovation, unconstrained by both conventional concepts, and produce work of timeless value.
Painting, among the most primal forms of artistic expression, has thrived throughout human history and played a crucial role in our creative lives.
Inheriting the history of painting thus far does not mean blindly following or accepting past precedents, but rather continuing painting’s endless search for free and original expression, always questioning existing concepts and discovering new values and possibilities while constantly evolving.
In this age of increasingly diversified value systems, not only exploration of the possibilities of painting, but also the expansion of the genre itself is an inevitable and important task. This will lead to the creation of an open-ended, interdisciplinary and radical creative realm not limited to painting.
To develop artists who can achieve the educational and research goals of the Faculty of Art and Design, the Oil Painting Course aims to cultivate students who work with sincere dedication, building on their technical abilities and power to think. Students should attain the capacity to sustain an independent, critical approach to self-expression, the ability to create diverse new art without being constrained by existing concepts, and a sense of joy in creation and responsibility to contribute to broad society through their work. Students who have achieved these goals receive bachelor’s (BFA) degrees.
Curriculum Policy
The Oil Painting Course systematically organizes and implements a curriculum so that students can achieve the goals indicated in the Diploma Policy.
Among the introductory first and second year courses, in the first year introductory classes, students are taught the background theory and knowledge for each assignment, and learn the basics of drawing, painting and other visual arts in terms of both practical skills and theory. From the second year on, students’ independence is emphasized and they work on different assignments in studios that they select, while exploring their own original art. In addition, through critique sessions conducted each time assignments are submitted, they are able to improve their ability to present ideas to others through language and in various other forms. In applied education beginning in the third year, each student sets a theme and explores the nature of their own self-expression more deeply. In addition to cultivating the ability to present works widely to society through gallery exhibitions on campus and so forth, students also undergo training off campus so as to absorb and process a wide range of knowledge.
In the fourth year, while continuing to receive instruction from multiple teachers with multiple viewpoints, the results of study up to that point are consolidated in a “graduation project,” and the final goal of the four-year program is establishment of self-awareness as an independent artist. Results are presented in graduation project exhibitions held at on-campus and off-campus galleries.
To evaluate the results of study, rigorous grading is carried out based on criteria specified in advance. These results are then utilized for further improvement of educational methods.
Admissions Policy
Based on the Diploma Policy, Curriculum Policy and other basic education policies, the Oil Painting Course seeks students who feel joy in painting and other visual arts, and who set themselves tasks and strive to resolve them independently. We are also actively seeking students who enjoy working alongside others, each striving to do his or her best and aim for unique expression of which only they are capable.
In the Oil Painting Course, students are evaluated comprehensively on their basic abilities in painting and other visual arts, specifically the ability to carefully observe subject matter, examine themselves and the world around them, and consider how to express themselves through painting, through specialized and academic examinations. They are not simply evaluated on mastery of techniques acquired for the purpose of the admissions examination. Attention is paid to how examinees deal with various problems and questions they are given through their own judgment and thinking, and whether they are making efforts to express themselves and discover new things. In other words, they are assessed not only on abilities prior to enrollment, but also on the basic competencies necessary for an artist to continue working continuously after entering the university, or to become independent and maintain their originality and self-expression in various jobs and living environments after completing the four-year program.
It is also important to learn to appreciate others’ art and communicate with others on a daily basis. We seek students who think and learn with others, so that art can function as a creative force in various areas of society.