Filipino Lens on Japanese Fashion, Art, and Culture, a hybrid lecture on the extensive and interconnected creative history between the Philippines and Japan, will be held simultaneously in Manila and Tokyo on Friday, June 21, 2024.
The in-depth discussion delves into the multifaceted dimensions of Japanese fashion, art, and culture through the unique perspective of Filipino scholars, artists, and cultural enthusiasts. It aims to foster academic discourse that addresses the underrepresentation of these fields in Filipino-Japanese relations.
The talk recognizes the dynamic interplay between the two vibrant cultures as it seeks to foster a deeper awareness and appreciation for the rich and diverse Japanese influences that shape contemporary expression in the Philippine artistic forms. Topics range from Japanese war paintings, the craft of natural dyeing, Kawaii culture, and body representation in the media.
The conversations likewise aim to motivate aspiring creatives as they resonate and draw inspiration from these Japanese elements and discover their distinct identities as artists.
It also provides the participants with a platform for networking opportunities, potential collaborations, and community engagements.
The initiative was organized by the Global Fashion Concentration (GFC) Program of the Bunka Gakuen University and the Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) Program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Environment and Design (SED) as leading advocates in promoting quality fashion education and cultural exchange.
Filipino Lens on Japanese Fashion, Art, and Culture will be facilitated by industry experts, to include Karl Ian Cheng Chua, an esteemed historian specializing in Japan. He is armed with a PhD in Social Studies from the national commercial studies-focused Hitotsubashi University. The former Ateneo de Manila University professor now teaches at the University of the Philippines. He is the country representative for the Steering Committee on the Japanese Studies Association in Asia.
The line-up is joined by Vincent Tan, a board member of the Professional Regulatory Board of Interior Design and the former chairperson of the Benilde Interior Design Program, who brings with him a PhD in Design Science from the prestigious Kyoto Institute of Technology.
Fashion designer Tracy Dizon is likewise onboard. She is a fashion design curriculum writer, a teaching artist in New York, and a finalist in the 2009 Sugino Fashion College 47th Fashion Design Contest. A former feature story contributor for NHK, she was a 2019 NHK World Japan Kawaii International Kawaii Ambassador.
Included in the panel is natural dye artist Diana Katigbak, who specializes in indigo dyeing. She earned her MA in Science of Clothing from the Bunka Gakuen University.
She is an assistant professional lecturer in Benilde FDM and program coordinator of the Benilde Textile Design Program.
Completing the roster is Nicolle Luna, a professor under Benilde FDM, curriculum writer, and MEXT Scholar, who is currently pursuing her MA under the Global Fashion Concentration Program at the Bunka Gakuen University.
Filipino Lens on Japanese Fashion, Art, and Culture is free and open to the public.
It will be conducted in a hybrid setup with simultaneous physical and online platforms on Friday, June 21, 2024, at 1 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PST).
The Philippine venue is at the 8F Commons of the Benilde Design + Arts Campus, 950 Pablo Ocampo Street, Malate, Manila.
Interested participants may join online through bit.ly/FilipinoLensHybridLecture.
For inquiries, email nikki24luna@gmail.com.
