OSPKYOTO 39: Capturing Concepts: A Photographic Exploration of the Origins of Kanji (Way: CE)

Instructor: Naoyuki Ogino

Modern Japanese kanji are derivations of much older pictographic and ideographic Chinese character sets which blurred the lines between structures found in the physical world and how concepts are captured in the written word. In this creative practicum course, in collaboration with the KYOTOGRAPHIE International Photography Festival and under the guidance of its official photographer Naoyuki Ogino, students will photograph scenes from their everyday lives in Kyoto to portray contemporary versions of the ancient forms and original meanings of ten different kanji. Students will develop their observational, interpretive and creative abilities as well as improve their technical skills (including picture composition and image editing). Each week in class students will present their photographs and share their reflections of why each scene was selected to represent each kanji as well as the thinking behind their artistic choices. They will also build up their own photographic portfolio for presentation at the end of the course. Enrollment limited.

Units: 2 | Grading Basis: Letter or Credit/No Credit | Way: CE | Component: Practicum

*All courses are subject to change.