Reflections on My Teaching: Part-time Lecturer at Fukuoka University of Education
- Apr 5
- 2 min read
Since last autumn, I have been serving as a part-time lecturer at my alma mater, Fukuoka University of Education.
This campus, where I once honed my craft alongside friends under the guidance of my mentors, is the very starting point of my creative journey. I feel a profound sense of connection in returning here as an instructor, and I am deeply grateful to Professor Naoyuki Sembon-gi for reaching out to me.
I am in charge of a hands-on course teaching the foundations of sculpture. For the first half of the semester, we focused on three-dimensional composition using paper and bamboo sticks, and in the second half, we moved on to creating sculptures with iron.
Reigniting the Fire in the Welding Room
To prepare for the iron sculpture sessions, I began by clearing out the welding room. This space was once managed and used as a studio by my mentor, Professor Mamoru Abe. It is a place filled with memories for me, as it was here that I received his guidance during my own student days.
The work I did in this very welding room led me to spend ten years working at an ironworks after graduation, which in turn shaped my current path as an artist. However, after the professor’s retirement, the room fell into disuse and had been left untouched for many years.
Over the past year, I have been preparing for my classes by organizing the space and maintaining the tools. In the midst of this, I also had two business trips abroad last year, and before I knew it, I had powered through the entire schedule for the second semester.
Watching the students face their materials with such straightforward intensity—just as I once did—it felt as though I was the one being taught what it truly means to "create." It was a truly profound and enriching time.
Hearing other professors say, "It’s exciting to see the welding sparks and hear the sound of the hammers again," gave me a deep sense of joy, knowing that I am slowly giving back to this educational environment. I hope that the experience I have built as an artist can be of some help to my juniors at my alma mater.
I am pleased to share that I will continue to teach in the 2026 academic year. Carrying with me the discoveries I made during this first semester, I look forward to exploring the fascination of expression even more deeply with the students in the new year. For now, I mark the end of this half-year filled with gratitude. I look forward to another wonderful year ahead.
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