Updated on 2025/06/09

Information

 

写真a

 
TARA YOSHIFUMI
 
Comment
Material-driven design, practical application of advanced materials
Organization
Faculty of Design Department of Design Futures Assistant Professor
Graduate School of Design Department of Design（Concurrent）
Graduate School of Design Department of Design Design Futures Course（Concurrent）
Title
Assistant Professor
Contact information
メールアドレス
Homepage
External link

Research Areas

  • Humanities & Social Sciences / Design

Degree

  • Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Department of Fine Arts, Master's Program in Design, Master of Fine Arts （ 2019.3 Tokyo University of the Arts ）

Research History

  • Yokohama College of Art and Design  Research Assistant 

    2023.3 - 2025.2

  • Tokyo University of the Arts  Research Assistant 

    2019.3 - 2023.3

Education

  • Tokyo University of the Arts   美術研究科   デザイン専攻修士課程

    2017.4 - 2019.3

  • Musashino Art University   美術学部   空間演出デザイン学科

    2013.4 - 2017.3

Research Interests・Research Keywords

  • Research theme： Research on the potential of materials and techniques arising from expressive activities

    Keyword： Material design, material-driven design, material expression

    Research period： 2025.3 - Present

Awards

  • Kobe Rokko Meets Art 2024 beyond – Rokko Mountain Tourism Prize

    2024.8   Rokkosan Tourism Co., Ltd.   Dream of Mud

    　More details

    Award type：Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.  Country：Japan

  • International Ceramics Festival Mino ’24

    2024.8   International Ceramics Festival Mino Executive Committee   Unfading Vessel Memories

    　More details

    Award type：Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.  Country：Japan

  • 15th SHACHIHATA New Product Design Competition – Yugo Nakamura Prize

    2022.10   Future Manufacturing Promotion   Peel-Pattern

    　More details

    Award type：Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.  Country：Japan

  • Rokko Meets Art 2020 – Art Walk

    2020.8   Rokkosan Tourism Co., Ltd. & Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.   Sky of Rocks

    　More details

    Award type：Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.  Country：Japan

  • ASPaC Awards 2018 Japan Finals, Honorable Mention

    2018.12   ASPaC Association & Japan Package Design Association (JPDA)   Shoji Box

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    Award type：Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.  Country：Japan

  • 20th CS Design Award (Student Division) Silver Prize & Area Management Council Prize

    2018.10   Nakagawa Chemical Co., Ltd. – CS Design Award Committee   Blueprint

    　More details

    Award type：Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.  Country：Japan

  • 57th Japan Craft Exhibition / Craft NEXT

    2018.1   Japan Craft Design Association (JCDA)   Horseshoe Crab Bag

    　More details

    Award type：Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.  Country：Japan

  • 13th Onahama International Tairyō Flag Art Exhibition, Excellence Award

    2017.7   Aquamarine Fukushima   Sea-Bream Fishing Flag

    　More details

    Award type：Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.  Country：Japan

  • 49th Mainichi & DAS Student Design Award (University Division, Golden Egg)

    2017.5   The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. & Japan Design Space Association (DAS)   CAN CELL

    　More details

    Award type：Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.  Country：Japan

  • 8th Snow Design Award

    2015.11   Nakaya Ukichiro Museum of Snow   Melt Glass

    　More details

    Award type：Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.  Country：Japan

  • Doodle 4 Google 2014 Googler Award

    2011.11   Google Japan (Google LLC, Japan)   Until Memories Are Made

    　More details

    Award type：Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.  Country：Japan

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Presentations

  • Discussing the potential of biomaterials through art and science Invited

    五十嵐圭日子、田島健次、砂川直輝、田羅義史

    LUC Lecture LUC, Learn and Unveil through Conversation  2023.3 

    　More details

    Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Public lecture, seminar, tutorial, course, or other speech  

  • Recording and expressing living spaces using specimen production techniques

    YOSHIFUMI TARA

    The 24th Conference of the Society for Environmental Art: “The Relationship between Industry, Art, and People: From Ota Ward to the Future”  2023.12 

    　More details

    Language：Japanese  

    Venue：Tokyo University of Technology Kamata Campus  

  • Art that conveys diversity and material practices in 3D printing

    YOSHIFUMI TARA

    Environmental Art Society “Environmental Art Society 2023 Spring Research Presentation Conference”  2023.5 

    　More details

    Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

  • The spatial qualities of tools and the potential of materials

    YOSHIFUMI TARA

    The 23rd Conference of the Society for Environmental Art Studies: “Fermentation and Circulation of the Land”  2022.10 

    　More details

    Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

    Venue：秋田公立美術大学  

Works

  • Horseshoe Crab Bag & Secret Crystals

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2024.10

    　More details

    Exhibition contrasting craft‑focused Horseshoe Crab Bag with concept‑driven Secret Crystals.

  • Ceramimic

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2024.10

    　More details

    Ultra‑thin ceramic vessel reinforced with clay to turn disposable tableware into lasting memory.

  • Dream of Mud

    Yoshifumi Tara; Nagi Kambara; Yudai Murata

    2024.8

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    A mud boat crafted from Rokko mountain soil gradually collapses and returns to nature, evoking Jomon‑period cycles and former seabed strata.

  • B order

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2024.5

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    Flexible resin‑and‑pole furniture straddling chair, desk and pillar.

  • Black Born

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2024.1

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    Foamed sugar forms preserved in resin, comparing histories of sugar and museums.

  • Glass Battery & Animal Mineral Series

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2024.1

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    Glass dyed by ionised metal, shown with Animal Mineral series works.

  • Food Hood

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2023.11

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    Freeze‑dried soup packaged as a protective hood for both cushioning and emergency nutrition.

  • Sylvanian Nature Design

    Yoshifumi Tara; Nayu Enmei

    2023.6

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    Two dioramas expressing extreme natural environments using Sylvanian Families’ flocky texture.

  • Animal Mineral Series

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2022.12

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    Small animal sculptures blending synthetic and natural SiO₂ crystals.

  • Prelude of the Sun

    Yoshifumi Tara; Yuri Tanaka; Shinnosuke; Midori Ide; Hajime Fukuda; Show Kato

    2022.11

    　More details

    Stage space using diffraction sheets to let visitors experience the light spectrum; leveraging the observatory context to awaken children’s curiosity about light science.

  • Prelude of the Sun: Return to the Forest

    Yoshifumi Tara; Yuri Tanaka; Shinnosuke; Midori Ide; Hajime Fukuda; Show Kato

    2022.11

    　More details

    Stage space reconfigured with scintillation fiber to visualise quantum light, connecting to the story of returning to the forest.

  • Life Beat

    Yoshifumi Tara; Yusuke Wakata; Sawako Kanazawa; Arisa Iwasaki; Hiroshi Nagaya

    2022.10

    　More details

    Light table installation flashing to each animal’s heart‑beat rhythm, visualising interdependent life cycles.

  • Animal Mineral Series – Human / Arrow of Light

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2022.7

    　More details

    New works in the Animal Mineral series and an arrow crafted from lab‑grown ruby, a time‑arrow back to prehistoric tools.

  • Thunder Cloud

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2022.6

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    Installation of fluorescent‑pigment thunder clouds, letting children play on the cloud.

  • Animal Mineral Series – Cat

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2022.4

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    Cat figure in the Animal Mineral series, fusing man‑made and natural quartz.

  • Life of Tree: Change & Preservation

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2022.2

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    Mobile versus preserved seeds: a dialogue on change and conservation.

  • Life of Tree

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2021.10

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    Specimen work preserving fruit seeds in situ within resin, visualising ties between people and crops.

  • Fruit of Dreams

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2021.9

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    An experimental work preserving fragile dreams by stretching resin membrane over a fine filament mesh.

  • milky shell & magic hour

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2021.3

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    Exhibition of bismuth crystal artworks combining “milky shell” and “magic hour”.

  • Secret Crystals Party

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2021.3

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    Specimen piece encasing potato chips in resin, presented as an opened party bag— juxtaposing hospitality with pandemic restraint.

  • milky shell

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2020.11

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    Solo display and sale of rare‑metal shell sculptures.

  • Sky of Rocks

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2020.9

    　More details

    A UV‑reactive sculptural rock piece referencing the sacred boulders of Mt. Rokkō, expressing a rain‑making ritual.

  • milky shell / milky shell – Three Sacred Treasures

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2020.8

    　More details

    Shell‑shaped bismuth sculptures, an art exploration of a super‑nova‑born element; exhibited and sold.

  • magic hour – Three Sacred Treasures

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2020.3

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    Three re‑imagined imperial regalia (mirror, sword, comma‑shaped jewel) crafted with bismuth and fire, displayed in a former public bath.

  • Secret Crystals – Convenience Store

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2019.5

    　More details

    Specimen series where transparent resin is poured into unopened processed foods, visualising the opacity of additives and everyday habits; shown on convenience‑store fixtures.

  • SKY SHADE

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2019.3

    　More details

    Installation of UV‑reactive sheet and water‑filled cloud chairs, creating a place to play and relax above the sky.

  • SKY SHADE (Video)

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2019.3

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    Screening of the SKY SHADE video piece.

  • Blueprint

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2018.10

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    Interactive installation on a 14‑m construction wall: blue camo‑shaped stickers that visitors peel and re‑stick, turning the white barrier into a sky‑like surface.

  • CAN CELL

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2018.3

    　More details

    Capsule‑tent the size of a capsule hotel cabin made from NASA‑developed metallized film; one‑way transparency and thermal control via gold/silver faces.

  • Horseshoe Crab Bag

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2018.1

    　More details

    A bag that faithfully replicates a horseshoe crab in color, texture, size and weight, built with school‑bag molding techniques; explores the boundary between leather material and living creatures.

  • Tai‑Ryo Flag

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2017.7

    　More details

    A large fishing flag cut from a photo of sea‑bream sashimi, highlighting the psychological distance between sea and dining table.

  • Melt Glass

    Yoshifumi Tara

    2015.10

    　More details

    A simple spherical glass cup with inner frosted snow‑flake etching; the pattern disappears when filled with water, evoking melting snow.

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Professional Memberships

  • Association for Advanced Materials Technology (AMT)

    2024.10 - Present

  • The Society of Materials Science, Japan (JSMS)

    2024.9 - Present

  • The Society for Environmental Art

    2022.4 - Present

Educational Activities

  • Education related to material selection and implementation in art and design activities.
    Based on prototyping and design practice, we teach design thinking with a focus on material-driven design and visual thinking.

Class subject

  • デザインスケッチ

    2025.6 - Present   Summer quarter

  • デザインシビック

    2025.4 - 2025.6   Spring quarter

Visiting, concurrent, or part-time lecturers at other universities, institutions, etc.

  • 2024  東北芸術工科大学  Classification:Part-time lecturer  Domestic/International Classification:Japan 

Other educational activity and Special note

  • 2020  Coaching of Students' Association  “Geidai Special Printing Club,” open

    　詳細を見る

    In April 2020, at the Department of Design, Tokyo University of the Arts, I founded the “Geidai Special Printing Club,” open to students of all years. Together with Mr. Shunsuke Ikai, instructor of the 2-D Workshop, we created a society linking current and former Geidai students with printing companies, completed the necessary paperwork, and recruited members. The club grew to over 40 members, and in July I led a factory tour to Taiyo Printing Co., Ltd. in Showajima. Collaborating with ALBA-TORO DESIGN Inc., we also organized an exhibition and booth at the TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR.

Outline of Social Contribution and International Cooperation activities

  • Since 2012, Yoshifumi Tara has actively bridged art, design, and science through community engagement and international outreach. Key contributions include:

    Large-scale interactive installations
    Thunder Cloud (2022): Shown at “Connected Ink Summer Festival,” Tokyo—an immersive thunder-cloud piece paired with Taiko drumming and children’s workshops.
    Life Beat (2022): Featured at DESIGN TOUCH Conference, capturing visitors’ heartbeats to visualize life cycles.
    Workshops & educational collaborations
    Letterpress card workshops at CASICA (Tokyo, 2022).
    Hands-on guidance for 36 high-school groups at Tokiwa-Matsu Gakuen Cultural Festival (Yokohama, 2024).
    Designed laser-cut MDF looms for NPO “Mori no Oto” (Yokohama, 2024), integrating student training in digital fabrication.
    Academic & science communication
    Public lecture “Art × Science: The Potential of Biomaterials” at the University of Tokyo (2023).
    Talk at Yokohama Civic Art Gallery (2023) on art education and research outreach.
    Through these initiatives, Tara engages audiences from children to professionals, strengthening university–community ties and promoting cross-disciplinary knowledge on an international stage.

Social Activities

  • Design & Fabrication of Mini Hand-Looms

    Role(s)：Lecturer,　Demonstrator

    2024.10

  • Public Lecture “Art × Science: The Potential of Biomaterials”

    Role(s)：Appearance,　Panelist,　Lecturer

    2023.3

  • Talk “Noge Machinaka Campus”

    Role(s)：Appearance

    2023.1

  • Letterpress Card Workshop — CASICA 5th Anniversary & GREEN RENEWAL

    Role(s)：Demonstrator

    2022.11

  • Workshop “Experiencing the Hidden Cycles Around Us” (DESIGN TOUCH Conference)

    Role(s)：Appearance,　Lecturer,　Demonstrator

    DESIGN TOUCH   2022.11

  • “Thunder Cloud” Installation at “Connected Ink Summer Festival 2022—Chaos Ennichi”

    Role(s)：Appearance,　Lecturer,　Planner

    2022.3

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Travel Abroad

  • Staying countory name 1：Viet Nam   Staying institution name 1：ベトナムハノイ美術大学