Press Release on Nebuta Sculptures in 2014

PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Sonoko Suzuki, Press Attaché
Office of Public Relations
Kyoto University of Art and Design
Phone: +81-75-791-9112
E-mail: [email protected]
22 Giant Nebuta Sculptures under the Theme of “Toy”
Will Be Lit Up at 6pm on Saturday, September 13
and Will Be on Display from September 14 to 21.
At Kyoto University of Art and Design, Uryuyama Campus ＜Kyoto City, Sakyo Ward＞
Top Prize in 2011
Theme: “Mathematics”
Top Prize in 2013
Theme: “Map”
Top Prize in 2012
Theme: “Species / Seed”
Under Production (on September 12, 2014)
Kyoto, September 12, 2014: Students of Kyoto University of Art and Design (Kyoto city, Sakyo
ward/President: Kazuo Oike) have been working on 22 Nebuta sculptures since Monday, September 1.
There is said to be a connection between the Nebuta of Aomori with the parade floats of Kyoto’s Gion
Festival, and the project started eight years ago under the guidance of craftsmen of Aomori’s Nebuta
Festival. Since then, the level of the student-made Nebuta sculptures has been increasing every year,
so much that it has been honored the name “Kyo-zo Nebuta” by the originators in Aomori.
<Aomori Nebuta Festival Official Site>
http://www.atca.info/nebuta_en/nebuta.html
Creation of the Nebuta sculptures is carried out by 868 first year students who entered the university in
April of this year. Teams of 37-38 students each concentrate their efforts to build these sculptures,
thereby expanding their perspectives on “seeing, making, and thinking.” Many of these students have
just graduated from high school and have no experience building large sculptures, nor felt the hardships
of creating something in a group. They suffer from hardships of creation, clash with each other, but in
the end, there are feelings of solidarity and a sense of accomplishment, and every year this project is a
stage for a drama of youth. You cannot help but be moved when viewing these sculptures.
This year’s common theme is “toy.” 22 teams have come up with their own designs, from a “pocket
watch” with no hour hands to symbolize the forgetting of time when playing as a child, to a 10m long
replica of the Shinkai 6500 submarine, built to actual size, to represent the pursuit of dreams. (Details:
see sketch.)
Nebuta sculptures are made with wood, wire, woodworking glue, and washi paper (hosho-gami),
measuring five to six meters vertically (=125-126m3.) While the Aomori Nebuta sculptures are colored,
Kyo-zo Nebuta are colorless and emphasize form and subtlety of paper tones, thereby encouraging
more creative sculptural designs. In order to obtain a high level of craftsmanship, students must give
presentations several times to a team of instructors including project technical director Masayuki
Ikenaga. It is only after intense criticism and encouragement that the students decide on a final design.
Work on these sculptures takes place at various exhibition locations on campus from 10am, Monday,
September 1 to 5pm, Saturday, September 13. The lighting begins from 6pm, Saturday, September 13.
The awards ceremony will be held at 7:30pm where the following six awards will be given: the top prize,
“President’s Award,” “Excellence Award,” “Audience Award,” as well as “Institut Francais Kansai Award,”
where one sculpture will be exhibited at Nuit Blanche in October, among others. This is the climax of the
drama of youth, where students who have come together in groups end in tears and joy.
The finished Nebuta sculptures will be on display from Sunday, September 14 to the school festival
which will be held on Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, open from 10am to 8pm
(7pm on the 20th and 21st).
Rough Sketches (Nebuta 2014)
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