The Design Education of Kyoto Art School

- From the View of "A Suggestion about the Art Educational Establishments" by Tenshin Okakura

Abstract

In this article, I presented the design education of Kyoto Art School during the Meiji era, as viewed through "A suggestion about the art educational establishments" (here in after referred to as "the suggestion") by Tenshin Okakura, with a focus on revealing and corroborating the characteristics of Kyoto Art School.
In the suggestion, Okakura presented a modern art educational institution suitable for Japan, in 1894. He denied that Kyoto Art School was an institution for higher arts education, as it was also a technical school. In his conception, an institution of higher arts education should seek to protect and succeed traditional Japanese art, and a technical school should attempt to develop industries. Kyoto Art School had connected with the local craft industries from the beginning and grew stronger in the middle of the Meiji era. Therefore, Kyoto Art School was denied status for both disciplines in the suggestion.