Otemon Gakuin University Faculty of Social Studies Students to Handle Exhibition Preparation and Operation at Ibaraki City Gallery. Solo Exhibition by Photographer Tatsuki Katayama to be Held from July 16

Otemon Gakuin University (Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture, President: Masahiro Mondo), Faculty of Social Studies, will hold a solo exhibition "Kukurs" by photographer Tatsuki Katayama at the Ibaraki City Gallery from July 16 (Thu) to July 21 (Tue). This exhibition is part of a course taught by Associate Professor Hana Sawada of the Faculty of Social Studies, focusing on social and cultural design. During the exhibition period, students will be involved in exhibition operations, on-site display work, and staff duties.

[Key Points]

* Students will support artwork setup at the venue and handle reception and guidance duties, connecting this experience to their future creative activities. * The exhibition, themed around dogs as "others" coexisting with humans, offers a re-examination of contemporary society. * The university's learning will be broadly disseminated to the local community by utilizing a regional gallery.

The Faculty of Social Studies, Department of Sociology, Social and Cultural Design Course, continues its practical learning initiatives for students in the field of art and cultural projects. This marks the third exhibition held by inviting an artist from outside the university as an arts and cultural project. Students will deepen their understanding of the works through lectures and workshops by Mr. Katayama, and then take on roles in preparatory work, setup support, and operational staff duties during the exhibition. The aim of this initiative is for students to systematically learn the entire process of creating an exhibition, not just by appreciating the works, but by closely observing the artist's creative process.

Photographer Tatsuki Katayama has created works themed around "the relationship between self and others." In recent years, he has focused on the familiar presence of "dogs" and continues to re-examine our society and systems through the diverse relationships between people and dogs. This exhibition is planned to feature landscapes shot based on research in Kathmandu, Nepal, the diverse dogs living there, and related materials. It aims to provide an opportunity to re-examine our daily lives and social structures from a new perspective through the depiction of dogs.

Exhibition Information

Period: July 16, 2026 (Thu) - July 21, 2026 (Tue)

Time: 10:00 - 19:00 (Last day until 17:00)

Venue: Ibaraki City Gallery (2F Rosavia, Hankyu Ibaraki-shi Station, 1-5 Eitaicho, Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture, 567-0816)

Organizer: Otemon Gakuin University, Faculty of Social Studies

Co-organizers: Ibaraki City, Ibaraki City Cultural Promotion Foundation

Cooperation: Otemon Gakuin University, Faculty of Social Studies, Social and Cultural Design Course

Planning: Hana Sawada / Design: uosada studio / Yudai Sada