Children's expressions as seen in the frottage

Design creativity derived from art workshop practice

Abstract

Sapporo City University's Faculty of Design and Dunlop Tire Hokkaido Company conducted an art project for elementary school students to address the issue of illegal dumping of discarded tires. The project aimed to raise environmental awareness and provide an experience of creative expression by having children create artwork using discarded tires as a motif, employing the frottage technique. The workshop was held in August 2025 for 18 second-grade students at Sapporo Municipal Iwaki Elementary School, and the children produced approximately 1000 artworks. This report discusses why the frottage technique fostered observational skills and a spirit of inquiry, and identifies four possible typical expressive developments in the children's creative process. Ultimately, the completed works, titled "Tire Frogs," were displayed in the lobby of Sapporo City Hall and enjoyed by many citizens. Further detailed analysis of the workshop's effects and clarification of the principles behind its creativity are necessary.