The Dishman Art Museum is hosting, “Drawing in Japan,” an exhibit guest-curated by Christopher Troutman, LU assistant professor of art. The exhibit showcases a variety of works from students who participated in the Japan study abroad program this summer. A reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Oct. 12.
“I took 10 students and we stayed in Japan for two weeks learning how to draw and paint,” Troutman said. “The purpose of the trip was to draw on site, completing 100 sketchbook pages, which included observational and compositional studies. We went to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara.
“Then we went to Beppu City to visit Lamar’s sister university, Beppu University, where we worked with their faculty and students. While at the university we were taught by professor Shinozaki in Japanese painting, and the students got to sit in on a Japanese manga and an animation class there as well.”
Troutman said that the main assignment for the exhibition was for the students to respond to their experiences in Japan.
“The students worked on three drawings to reflect that experience,” he said. “Some students in the show went on more than what was required. The students were encouraged to respond in their own variety and style. I think they had their own interests in terms of what they were drawing about and you can see that at the show.”
Karisma Danas, junior drawing major, said her works were inspired by various characters and sights she saw while traveling around Japan.
“One of my works is inspired by all of the cute stuffed animals I saw in the claw machines that I could never win,” she said. “I also included characters that I liked and recognized. Some of the characters in my work include Pikachu, Mario, Gudetama and Cinnamoroll.
Danas said that her work in the show was originally going to be realistic but she decided to put her own spin on it after talking with Troutman.
“My other artwork in the show is inspired by the tanuki statues that I saw walking around the different shops and seeing them displayed on people’s porches,” she said. “In Beppu, where we were staying, they are known for their hot springs and I wanted to include that into my drawing as well.”
Thomas Duran, sophomore graphic design major, took inspiration from the manga class.
“The basis of my work features in the background, one of my classmates, Andy Ramos, wearing his giant blue-lensed glasses,” Duran said. “He called himself the ‘Ao Oni,’ which is the blue demon — I was with him most of the time so it was funny to see how he would react to different things in Tokyo and in Japan in general. I based all three panels off of him reacting to everything he saw there, and made it overexaggerated. One of the panels is based off the landscape of the hotel we stayed at and Andy looking at the skyline in Nara.”
Duran said that the first preliminary drawing of his work started with sketches he made walking around trying to figure out what he wanted to do for his assignment.
“I asked Troutman if I was able to put the three panels together and make something out of it,” he said. “My other drawing is a stand alone, and is based off our first night in Tokyo. We were all tired from that first day walking around with all of our luggage and everything. The artwork is a mixture of my representation of all of Tokyo and how we were feeling.”
Duran said that he learned to spend more time understanding what he wanted to sketch and draw in order to make a bigger piece.
The Dishman Art Museum is located at 1030 E. Lavaca on the Lamar campus.
For more information, call 880-8959.
Story by Cade Smith, UP staff writer