Enjoying Art with the Artist — Fall 2025
Science Tokyo students were in for another treat as the Student Support Center hosted Enjoying Art with the Artist — Fall 2025 on November 19 on Ookayama Campus.
This seminar, held twice a year in spring and fall, aims to help students draw inspiration from art and develop their own creative expression. Conducted in both English and Japanese, the November seminar brought together 22 students — fourteen from overseas and eight from Japan — who enjoyed exploring art in a diverse environment.
With a focus on "Faces of the 20th Century: Portrait and Self-Portrait," participants first learned from the instructor about various approaches and techniques through portrait works by famous artists such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. This was followed by hands-on practice in creating portrait drawings.
Instructor — Artist Zuse Meyer
The seminar was led by Zuse Meyer, a painter and poet who is also a lecturer at Science Tokyo. Meyer currently creates artwork in both Berlin and Tokyo, hosting original art workshops and art classes. She is a graduate of the Berlin University of the Arts.
Lecture — Portraits capture emotions and atmosphere
Meyer began with some quotations and works related to portraits while introducing art by Picasso, Matisse, and others. By comparing various artworks, students explored how the historical context and personal circumstances of each artist influenced their expression. The lecture highlighted that portraiture does more than simply depict a person. It also captures the artist’s emotions and the atmosphere of the era.
Practical Exercises
Three drawing sessions were conducted during the seminar. As the students worked on their pieces, Meyer offered thoughtful comments, creating a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere.
1. Single-stroke self-portrait
As a warm-up activity, students drew their own faces in one ongoing single line using a mirror and pencil. While some students were unsure at first, they gradually became absorbed in the activity with Meyer's encouragement.
2. Drawing with the non-dominant hand
Next, students drew their self-portraits using their non-dominant hand. The goal was to express themselves more intuitively by stepping away from their usual habits of drawing.
3. Watercolor portrait of person sitting opposite
Finally, students painted a portrait of the person sitting across from them using watercolors. They freely choose their colors and styles to capture the other person's characteristics and presence. The resulting artworks were all unique and impressive. At the end, participants viewed each other's pieces and shared their impressions.
Comments from participating students
- I have not had the opportunity to draw since entering university, so it was really fun to experience it again. The instructor was kind and gave positive feedback on our drawings, which made me happy.
- I had a truly wonderful time. Creating art is not about depicting the surface of humanity, but rather an attempt to observe deeply and describe the inner essence of the subject. This approach resonates with research, which contemplates the underlying patterns at work within data.
- Drawing a self-portrait, something I rarely do, allowed me to observe myself and others from a new perspective. It was refreshing and a valuable experience.
- Very nice, very relaxing. I had a lot of fun!
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Update history
- This article was updated on January 6, 2026.
Contact
Student Success Support Section, Student Support Center at Ookayama
Email concierge.general@ssc.isct.ac.jp