President of Tokyo University of the Arts

Mr. Katsuhiko Hibino

Born in Gifu City in 1958. Graduated from the Department of Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 1982. His graduation project won the first design award. Completed the Graduate School of Fine Arts in 1984. When he was in school, he belonged to the soccer club. He won the 1982rd Japan Graphic Exhibition Grand Prize in 3, the 1983th ADC Award Grand Prize in 30, and exhibited at the Sydney Biennale in 1986 and the Venice Biennale in 1995. He received the Mainichi Design Award Grand Prix in 1999 and the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award in the Art Promotion Division of the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2015. In 1995, he became an assistant professor at the Department of Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. In 1999, he participated in the establishment of the Department of Intermediate Arts at the Faculty of Fine Arts. In 2007 he became a professor in the same department. Since 2016, he has been the dean of the department. Current position from April 2022. Graduated from Gifu Prefectural Kano High School.

The rhythm matched
Encounter with cardboard

　I decided to pursue a career in the art world when I was in my first year of high school. When I was thinking about going to university with everyone in my class, I thought to myself, ``I love painting, and if I could express myself through art, I would be able to deeply experience the feeling of being alive.'' This led to my decision on my career path. We are connected.

　The first university I entered after graduating from high school was Tama Art University. At that time, stars who transcended genres were born, such as the popular singer-songwriter Yumi Arai from Tama Art University, and Akutagawa Prize-winning author Ryu Murakami from Musashino Art University (Musashino Art University). The affiliated universities had a brilliance that foreshadowed the era of the 1980s when Japan Art was number one.

　I ended up re-entering the design department at Tokyo University of the Arts the following year, and during my first and second years here, I was exposed to a variety of materials in order to experience basic creative activities. Third-year students search for their own expressions, and the key was choosing materials and themes. Search by yourself instead of being taught by teachers around you. This is because in art studies, for example, if a teacher is 1 years old, they may be about 2 years apart from the students, but they are the same artist, and from the perspective of art history, they are contemporary artists. Although technical matters may be taught and learned, there is little point in distinguishing between adults and children, or between students and teachers. The important thing was what and how to make it a part of my life.

　So I chose cardboard.

　Whether it's singing, running, or talking, each person has their own rhythm. So if you can find the right material, you can get absorbed in it and have a great time. A fun time is a time when you are interacting with the material, whether you are struggling or not, and after that time you realize that you have created a piece of work.

　For me, cardboard was the material that worked well with me. Especially the sense of speed. It takes about a month to carve the stone. It takes two months to dry and then bake the pottery. The same goes for iron. Cardboard was the one that suited me, including the color.

All photos of the works are provided by Tokyo University of the Arts.