In this paper, I intend to organize the productive background of the works by female Japanese style artists through their statement. Furthermore, I will demonstrate that the self-portrait of these female artists represents and reflects of feminist in the period.

This paper focuses on seven self-portraits by five female Japanese painting artists as follows: Itō Shōha , Shima Seien, Kajiwara Hisako, Ogura Yuki, and Kitazawa Eigetsu. They are renowned female artists to create a female image, positively participating in the governmental and institutional exhibitions such as Kanten and Inten.

As reviewing the previous research, I reconfirmed that Japanese gender studies remain a problem of sex/gender difference in the gaze toward female figures. Moreover, when investigating the productive background and the statement of female Japanese style painters at the same time, I found the result led to another question about only few works could be regarded as resistance to the male gaze as well. Therefore, I assert it requires to exam their self-portraits through a new perspective to reflect feminism. I confirmed how artists expressed the female images at the time. In consequence, it supposes that there are a few numbers of self-portraits since the portraits in Japanese style painting mainly not emphasize self, and also the subject of artworks gradually shifts to a female figure. As I surveyed the making of self-portraits in their painting careers, it reveals Seien’s Mudai and Self-portrait project feminism according to the words by herself and the gaze of the painted character directly facing to the viewer. On the other side, Seikan by Hisako and koujitu by Eigetsu present as self-portraits at first glance, nonetheless, they could express individual achievements. These works highlight the profile of the characters who have no consciousness of gaze of the audience and imply the scene of the artist immersing themselves in the production. Finally, Before Production and Summer by Shōha indicate the works as Bijin-ga surrendering to the gaze of male viewers. Shōha began self-portrait and ceased creating the genre of historical painting, which could be considered as the selection for official exhibition and the response to the appropriate femininity for social expectation at the time. In conclusion, the workswith the representation of feminism in this era remain unknown and need further research.

Summary Currently, to convey the charm of the university and utilize knowledge effectively, information from open courseware (OCW) is actively being disseminated by universities to the public. However, in the process of OCW promoting activities in universities, some problems have arisen, such as insufficient use and low recognition. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate a method to improve the utilization rate in OCW.

This study included interview surveys and impression evaluation experiments for the improvement of the utilization rate of OCW. The interview survey comprised interviews with four national universities (Hokkaido University, University of Tokyo, Nagoya University, Kyoto University) that actively promote the spread of OCW in Japan. The results of the interview survey with operation management confirmed the status quo of operation management and initiatives for the visual design of those universities. For the impression evaluation experiments, experimental collaborators were asked to browse the four OCW websites; subsequently, a questionnaire survey was conducted. The recorded data of the usage process were also analyzed. The impression evaluation experiments confirmed the impressions that users felt and the actual usage status of OCWs at the four universities. The results showed that among those four universities, Hokkaido University was highly evaluated because, comparatively, it had a unified visual design and a consistent image. Furthermore, based on analysis and consideration, it was found that there was a common process in the behavior of users to search for content in OCW. Through this research, the following three points were presented as issues of OCW in Japan from the viewpoint of visual design: 1) searching for images; 2) public relations activities; and 3) improvement of interface design.

This paper attempts to evaluate and analyze the practice of artist-in-school in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, from the perspective of school education and from the point of view of exploring the potential of art education conducted through collaboration between schools and art facilities. The target project is one planned by ATLIA, Kawaguchi Art Gallery located in that city since 2006, in which artists who perform art activities are dispatched as teachers to the drawing and handicrafts classes and arts classes of elementary and junior high schools to create and present works in a single unit. The author has been involved in these activities as a coordinator since 2011.

In 1. the main idea and purpose of this paper is clarified.

In the next 2., I discuss how the artist-in-school is positioned as an institutional project based on an overview of ATLIA, Kawaguchi Art Gallery.

In 3., I consider latest practical examples (implemented in elementary schools in 2019), present the purpose and overview of the projects, and explore the flow of the unit conducted in the school. I describe in detail how the classes were planned including what role the teachers, artists and coordinators played. Based on these factors, in 4. I attempt to identify the educational effects of the program through an analysis of the opinions and impressions from students and teachers who participated in the unit.

This study considers Naobumi Seimiya's creation process from the viewpoint of the author, who is a modern woodblock print creator, and attempts to approximate his rich creativity of print expression and the pinnacle of form he achieved.

Regarding the research method, first I posited his techniques and process, woodblocks, and information attained from previous research. Then, I recreated portions of two of his woodblock print pieces and recorded my considerations therein.

In the reproduction of "Kiriko" (Facets), I created an omohan key block which I used to print 11 overlays on a single print with a single block by altering the printing technique each time. To test the printing process, I started with various methods recorded on 3 instruction sheets and added techniques I surmised to be potentially appropriate.

In the reproduction of "Cho" (Butterflies), I created an omohan key block that uses the complex shape of the outline and overlays versatilely throughout the work, as well as blocks that repel water in some areas and blocks that create the colored surface. For the printing process, I hypothesized the entire process the effects of changes in technique such as water amount and printing methods.

By reproducing the functions and diverse unique qualities of his prints, I experienced firsthand Naobumi Seimiya's woodblock print technique and creation process and displayed experiment results that approximate "the wonder a print can possess as a single image".

There are two types of expressions in modeling composition in which shapes are arranged from structure based on a mathematical order (hereafter referred to as a mathematical structure) such as a square lattice or a regular polygon. One is a regular expression that excludes arbitrariness and chance, and the other is an irregular expression that deliberately arranges uneven shapes. There is still yet any research, however, that comprehensively captures these as the development of works based on mathematical structures. In this study I aimed at arranging works based on mathematical structures by first organizing the method of introducing irregularity.

The subject of this research is limited to expressions based on two-dimensional mathematical structures, the most basic approach. The subject of the survey is limited to static expression. The five ways for introducing irregularities that were made apparent from discussions are as follows:

1) Using natural or unevenly generated materials

2) Established directly in the medium as a trace of an act that incorporates chance

3) Making the distribution of labels irregular in the process of labeling, which is done to systematically assign a specific form or action to the smallest unit of a point, line, or plane of structure

4) Incorporate random elements based on chance or arbitrariness into the operation content assigned to the label.

5) Transform the structure irregularly

The results of this research will be the basis for future research that expands the foundation and development of expression by systematizing formative design using mathematical structures.