ArtWorks
Artwork & Artist Introduction
Introducing the artworks bringing color and vibrancy to our campus
Artworks displayed across the APU campus are adding color and richness to students’ everyday lives.
Each piece is the result of a myriad of conscious decisions made by the artist.
We invite you to pause in front of these works as they appear around campus, and discover the traces of the artist’s movements and thoughts within them.
Immortal Landscape: Fountain
Towa Takaya
- Material
- Collected from the Hells in Beppu City: Mud, Natural Pigments, and Oil on Linen Canvas
- Yer of production
- 2024
pin_drop Sakura Lounge in Green Commons (J Building)
Artist’s Commentary on the Work
I strive to manifest the very circulation of vast energy through the medium of the body. The source of the unique atmosphere I experienced in Beppu lies in the phenomenon of hot springs bursting forth from deep within the earth, driven by the overwhelming energy of geothermal forces.
The use of pigments refined from the mud of natural hot springs, along with the expanse of steam from the earth and heat suggested by the blank spaces of the divided canvases, are both attempts to give form to this immense energy within my work.
The resulting dynamism, while fluid and kinetic, conveys a sense of the profound depth of time and space inherent in a nature that transcends human existence.
The term "Immortal Landscape" refers to a realm removed from the mundane world, but what I experienced was not a static nothingness, but rather the source of a "tremendous, immense power" that gives life to countless beings. I have expressed this sensation through the word "Fountain" in the subtitle.
Artist Profile
Towa Takaya
Born in Tokyo in 1992, Towa Takaya graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London.
Her paintings, characterized by fluid lines and mystical color tones, are created through cross-disciplinary explorations of space, time, and existence. She handcrafts her own pigments using site-specific materials and plants collected from various locations in Japan and abroad.
In parallel, she explores experimental approaches such as developing virtual-reality-based drawing systems and adopting techniques from other fields. Since 2022, she has been engaged in joint research with Shiseido, using cosmetic raw materials as part of her artistic practice.
Her distinctive depth, woven from delicate color spectrums and richly layered tonal variations, invites viewers into a contemplative, spiritual space removed from everyday life.
In collaboration with the Shiseido Future Development Research Institute, she is advancing research and production of new forms of environmental art using CO2-derived polymers. In the new series ‘Morphology of Breath’, the cyclical relationship between humans and the environment is visualized through the optical behavior of materials. Her work has been exhibited at museums and art fairs both in Japan and abroad, and is gaining recognition as a unique form of visual art centred on optical phenomena. Her works are held in numerous private, university and corporate collections.
魂（Soul）
Adwaita Gadanayak
- Material
- Granite
pin_drop Sakura Sky Garden
*This work was donated to APU by the Consulate General of India, Osaka-Kobe in 2023open_in_new.
Artist’s Commentary on the Work
This sculpture doesn't directly depict the "soul" but rather symbolizes the journey in search of the soul. The Indian granite used in the sculpture carries its own history, allowing us to contemplate our existence over a long period and ponder thoughts for the future through the history of the stone. It is a piece that generates a vision for the future suitable for the university environment.
Artist Profile
Adwaita Gadanayak
Adwaita Gadanayak is one of India’s leading sculptors, renowned for seamlessly blending traditional artistic practices with contemporary sensibilities. After serving as Director General of the National Gallery of Modern Art under the Ministry of Culture, he was appointed Director General of the KIIT Art Academy (KAA). Through these roles, he has made significant contributions to India’s cultural and artistic landscape.
Faraway Days
Gyoji Nomiyama
- Size
- 116.7 x 91.0cm
- Material
- Oil on canvas
- Yer of production
- 2021
pin_drop Green Commons (J Building)
*Not open to the general public
*This work was created by the artist at the age of 100 and was donated to APU by Mr. Nomiyama in 2022.
Artist Profile
Gyoji Nomiyama
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1920 and passed away in the same region in 2023. Graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, Department of Oil Painting. Served in the military and was dispatched to Manchuria. Lived in France from 1952 to 1964.
Recipient of numerous honors, including: Yasui Award, Minister of Education’s Art Encouragement Prize, Fukuoka Prefecture Cultural Award, Mainichi Art Award, Person of Cultural Merit, Order of Culture (2014).
Nomiyama Gyoji Foundation: http://nomiyama-f.or.jp/ open_in_new
HERALBONY
HERALBONYopen_in_new is a creative company that aims to create a new culture, starting from transforming the perception of disability and building upon the foundation of welfare.
On the APU campus, we display art panels featuring works created by artists affiliated with HERALBONY.
These artworks were selected through a survey of APU students, faculty, and staff, with the selection made from the perspective of whether the works align with the conceptual theme of “Intertwine・Have Fun・Connect " (つむぐ・たのしむ・つながる) and whether they are felt to embody the APU campus itself.
Untitled
Naoto Iguchi
pin_drop Green Commons (J building) outside J104
Reason for Selection
Through patiently expressing his unique interests, he creates highly original works that convey the strength of valuing and persistently staying true to your individuality. Furthermore, his relationship with the convenience store clerk suggests that even actions that may seem incomprehensible to others can eventually foster human connections and lead to understanding and even support.
Artist Profile
Naoto Iguchi
Naoto Iguchi has a daily practice of using photocopiers at the convenience stores in his neighborhood to make images of his face and objects that he is interested in at the moment, He presses his face against the glass, and moves his body in sync with the sensor light to create unique distortions on the image. The stickers frequently seen in his works are prize-entry stickers peeled off aluminum cans, from which he has won multiple prizes. He has been visiting the same convenience store for over 20 years, so after each session, the shop clerks swiftly wipe the facial oil off the copy machine.
Habit of Gathering
Teppei Kasahara
pin_drop Green Commons (J building) outside J104
Reason for Selection
The finely drawn people, animals, and creatures seem to each have distinctly individual personalities.
Their coexistence in one place makes one think of APU’s diverse campus.
Artist Profile
Teppei Kasahara
Teppei Kasahara was born in 1977. He expresses his unique characters on pure white canvas, using pens ranging from 0.03 mm to 0.7 mm. Each character has a different expression and pose, appearing as if they are dancing across the canvas.
Feelings of a Carnation
Taisuke Kinugasa
pin_drop Counseling Room
*Not open to the general public
Reason for Selection
Within this artwork, although each flower exists independently, they combine to form a flourishing bouquet. This symbolizes APU, a university built by the contributions of uniquely individual students coming together to form the unique APU environment.
Artist Profile
Taisuke Kinugasa
Taisuke Kinugasa lives to paint. He expresses the landscapes he comes across during world travels with his family through a unique point of view overflowing with light and color. With his almost magical sense for color and creativity, he instantly selects hues from hundreds of paints to create his artwork. His art has been highly acclaimed in both Japan and overseas, and large Ema (message/wish cards at Japanese shrines) of his work have been displayed at Kamigoryo Shrine and Hakuun Shrine within the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
Cosmos
Fumie Shimaoka
pin_drop Green Commons (J building) outside J104
Reason for Selection
APU resonates with the spirit of challenge and patience evident in these artworks, where countless tiny circles and shapes connect to form a whole. The way these individual elements come together to create a unified space mirrors the APU campus: a place where diverse students gather and bring the community to life.
Artist Profile
Fumie Shimaoka
Since childhood, Fumie Shimaoka has enjoyed sitting at a desk and focusing on activities that involve fine motor skills, as she attended a Montessori classroom. Skilled at origami, she later worked folding linens at a hotel and spent her leisure time practicing calligraphy, making lace cords, and knitting. After a remarkable recovery from acute hydrops due to keratoconus, she started creating line art using water-based pens. She patiently connects countless tiny circles and shapes to depict her favorite things and feelings.
Originally using only monochrome, her art style has expanded to include more colors and forms, evolving into her current distinctive style.