PROGRAMSKYOTO Gathering for Asian Art Students
KYOTO Gathering for Asian Art Students 2025
Event Concept

KYOTO Gathering for Asian Art Students is a three-day conference with accommodation provided, bringing together students from Southeast and East Asia to deepen their mutual understanding and their region at large within the context of the contemporary art world. The event aims to reexamine Western-centric narratives in art and provide opportunities for practical learning and meaningful connections through discussions on global art trends, individual research interests, and career pathways.
Since the 1990s, contemporary art has undergone rapid global expansion, with models of museums, art festivals, and art fairs emerging across various regions—including Asia, which has seen remarkable economic growth. At the same time, recent global disruptions such as the pandemic and ongoing political and economic instability have cast uncertainty over the future for the next generation of creators. In an age of overwhelming digital information, even imagining “what the world is” and “where we truly stand” has become increasingly difficult.
In response to this situation, the KYOTO Gathering for Asian Art Students seeks to foster real human relationships among young artists and curators, offering a space to collectively envision alternative futures.
Event Details
- DatesWed, November 12 – Fri, November 14, 2025
- VenueKyoto University of the Arts
- ThemeFlipping Point: Looking Back at the World from Asia
- Number of Participants35 total (19 domestic, 16 international)
- Program DetailsThe program will include Group Discussions, Keynote Talks by Guest Speakers, Kyoto Excursion, Networking Sessions.
- Participation FeesFree of charge
- Organized byICA Kyoto, Kyoto University of the Arts Graduate School
- Supported byThe Japan Foundation
Application Guidelines
- EligibilityGraduate students and 4th-year undergraduate students enrolled in art universities in Southeast Asia and East Asia.
*Domestic participants from Japan must be able to attend the kick-off meeting (hybrid format) on Sat, August 23.
- Required DocumentsPlease upload a portfolio or research material (PDF, A4 size, under 10MB) via the application form.
- Application DeadlinePlease submit by the following deadline.
Monday, July 28, 2025, 23:59 (JST)Application Closed
Program Schedule
- DAY 1 – Wednesday,
November 12 - 09:30
Registration
- 10:00–10:15
Opening Ceremony
Opening Remarks: Mami Kataoka (Director, ICA Kyoto)
- 10:15–11:30
Orientation & Icebreakers
An introduction to the overall aims and structure of the program, followed by simple interactive exercises to foster exchange among participants.
- 12:00–13:00
Lunch
- 13:00–15:00
Keynote Lecture ①
“A Different Twentieth Century: Asian Art History in Singapore”
Guest Speaker: Patrick Flores (Chief Curator, National Gallery Singapore)We welcome internationally renowned curator and scholar Patrick Flores to speak on modern and contemporary Asian art histories in relation to Singapore.
- 15:30–16:30
Excursion Briefing
Overview of the excursion scheduled for November 13, including its objectives and destinations.
- 16:30–18:00
Group Discussions
Participants will be divided into small groups based on shared interests to exchange ideas about their practices and research.
Facilitators
ICA Kyoto Members (Mami Kataoka, Kazuya Nakayama, Kodama Kanazawa, Takuya Tsutsumi, Atsushi Kiri)
- 18:00–19:00
Collaborative Preparation for Dinner.
- 19:00–21:00
Dinner
- 21:00
End of Day 1
- DAY 2 – Thursday,
November 13 - 09:00
Meet at the venue
- 09:15–12:00
Group Discussions
Building on the previous day’s exchange, each group will continue discussions and decide on their excursion destinations for the afternoon.
Facilitators
ICA Kyoto Members (Mami Kataoka, Kazuya Nakayama, Kodama Kanazawa, Takuya Tsutsumi, Atsushi Kiri)
- 12:00–13:00
Lunch
- 13:00–15:00
Keynote Lecture ②
“The Art of Becoming: First Five Years After Graduation”
Guest Speaker: Yee I-Lann (Artist)Born in 1971 in Sabah, Malaysia, Yee I-Lann creates works using photography, video, and installation to explore historical and cultural memories in contemporary society. In this lecture, she will reflect on her experiences and discuss how she built her artistic career in the years following graduation.
- 15:00–
Excursion
Participants will visit various sites in Kyoto in small groups, deepening their understanding of the city and fostering further exchange.
- DAY 3 – Friday,
November 14 - 09:00
Meet at the venue
- 09:15–12:00
Presentations: Excursion Reflections
Each group will share their experiences, learnings, and insights gained from the excursion.
- 12:00–13:00
Lunch
- 13:00–14:00
Program Reflection
A collective reflection on the three-day program, sharing impressions and future perspectives.
- 14:30–15:00
Closing Ceremony
- 15:00–16:30
Closing Party
A casual gathering to celebrate the conclusion of the program.
- 16:30
Program Ends
Student Participants (in alphabetical order)

Sekar Atika
Universitas Gadjah Mada, Graduate School
Media and Cultural Studies
2nd-year master’s student
Nemo
Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta
Fine Arts
4th-year undergraduate student
Alice Cheng
Hong Kong Baptist University
Academy of Visual Arts, Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Visual Arts
4th-year undergraduate student
Cheng Yin-Chen
Taipei National University of the Arts, Graduate School
Fine Arts / Mixed Media
2nd-year master’s student
Khush
Hong Kong Baptist University
Bachelor of Visual Arts
4th-year undergraduate student
Fais Hadsaram
Chiang Mai University
Faculty of Fine Arts / Department of Media Art and Design
4th-year undergraduate student
Mao Hiraoka
Nagoya University of Arts, Graduate School
Fine Arts, Major in Contemporary Expression
2nd-year master’s student
Kanha Hul
Paññasastra University of Cambodia (PUC)
Faculty of Education, Department of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
4th-year undergraduate student
Yerashevich Ilya
Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School
Graduate School of Global Arts Creation
PhD student
Renna
University Malaysia Sabah
Academy of Creative Arts and Technology
4th-year undergraduate student
Will
Chulalongkorn University
Master of Architecture in Architectural Design
2nd-year master’s student
Akiko Kimura
Tohoku University of Art and Design, Graduate School
Art and Design, Master’s Program, Department of Art and Culture, Interdisciplinary Arts Area
2nd-year master’s student
Hiiro Kiyohara
Kyoto University of the Arts
Faculty of Fine Arts and Crafts, Oil Painting Course
4th-year undergraduate student
Saki Kuwata
Akita University of Art, Graduate School
Department of Multidisciplinary Arts
1st-year master’s student
Asuka Komatsu
Tama Art University
Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Information Design, Media Arts Course
4th-year undergraduate student
Eldrick Yuji Raphael Salinel Los Baños
National Taipei University of Education (NTUE)
MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies of Contemporary Art
2nd-year master’s student
Koki Matsuda
Saga University
Faculty of Art and Regional Design, Regional Design Course
4th-year undergraduate student
JongMin
Kyoto University of the Arts, Graduate School
Arts and Environmental Studies / Cultural Design / Art Education, Transdisciplinary Production Program
2nd-year master’s student
Jared Munn
Kyoto University of the Arts, Graduate School
Global Seminar
2nd-year master’s student
Cocone Nakamura
Kyoto University of the Arts
Faculty of Fine Arts and Crafts, Foundation Art Course
4th-year undergraduate student
Cam Anh Nguyen
Fulbright University Vietnam
Department of Art & Humanities (Literature and Art & Media Studies)
4th-year undergraduate student
Nik
Kyoto University of the Arts, Graduate School
Department of Fine Arts and Crafts, Photography and Video Area
2nd-year master’s student
Jazmin Fong Navalan
University of the Philippines – Diliman
Department of Theory
4th-year undergraduate student
Paphanun Phermpheng
Chiang Mai University
Media art and design, Faculty of Fine Arts
4th-year undergraduate student
Akira Sano
Hiroshima City University, Graduate School
Arts, Department of Comprehensive Plastic Arts
PhD student
Honoka Sato
Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music
Faculty of Design and Craft, Department of Design
4th-year undergraduate student
Amir Shakar
Kazakh National Academy of Arts named after T. Zhurgenov
Cinema and TV / Directing
4th-year undergraduate student
Zoe Nakahara
Onomichi City University, Graduate School
Fine Arts, Department of Oil Painting
2nd-year master’s student
Riho Takamasu
Akita University of Art, Graduate School
Department of Multidisciplinary Arts
2nd-year master’s student
TSENG Che-Wei (Daniel)
National Taipei University of Education
Critical and Curatorial Studies of Contemporary Art (CCSCA)
2nd-year master’s student
Motoki Watanabe
Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School
Fine Arts Course of Global Art Practice
2nd-year master’s student
Hibiki Yamada
Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School
Fine Arts Course of Global Art Practice
2nd-year master’s student
Yin Yuan
Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School
Fine Arts, Department of Sculpture
PhD student
Ke Dong / KD
Nanyang Technological University
School of Humanities, BA (Hons) Double Major in English Literature and Art History
4th-year undergraduate student
Zhao Tongyang
Kyoto University of the Arts, Graduate School
Art Studies
PhD student
Keynote Speakers’ Profiles
Patrick Flores
Patrick Flores is Chief Curator of National Gallery Singapore. He is concurrently Professor of Art Studies at the University of the Philippines and Director of the Philippine Contemporary Art Network. He has written significantly on Southeast Asian art, specifically its colonial and modernist formations, and has curated contemporary exhibitions on and through Southeast Asia. He was a Visiting Fellow at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1999 and a Guest Scholar of the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles in 2014. Among his publications are Painting History: Revisions in Philippine Colonial Art (1999); Past Peripheral: Curation in Southeast Asia (2008); Raymundo Albano: Texts (2017); and The Modern in Southeast Asian Art: A Reader (2023), which he co-edited with T. K. Sabapathy. He was a Curator (Position Papers) at the Gwangju Biennale in 2008, the Artistic Director of Singapore Biennale in 2019 and Curator of the Philippine Pavilion in 2015 and the Taiwan Pavilion in 2022 at the Venice Biennale.

Yee I-Lann
Yee I-Lann (b. 1971, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia; lives and works in Kota Kinabalu) is a leading contemporary artist known for her photomedia-based practice that explores the intersections of power, colonialism, and neo-colonialism in Southeast Asia. Her digital photo collages and collaborative projects often foreground counter-narratives and “histories from below,” engaging with both sea-based and land-based communities as well as indigenous mediums in Sabah.
She has exhibited widely across Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States. Major retrospectives Yee I-Lann: 2005–2016 (Ayala Museum, Manila, 2016). Recent solo shows include Borneo Heart (Sabah International Convention Centre, 2021), Until We Hug Again (CHAT, Hong Kong, 2021), At the Roof of the Mouth (Silverlens New York, 2022) and Yee I-Lann: Mansau-Ansau (Kunstmuseum Thun, 2025).
Yee’s work has also featured in significant group exhibitions such as the Asia Pacific Triennial (1999, 2021), SUNSHOWER: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980s to Now (Tokyo, 2017), Aichi Triennale (2022), the Istanbul Biennial (2022), NGV Triennial, Victoria, Australia (2023); and The Spirits of Maritime Crossing, Venice, Italy (2024).
Staff Credits
- Supervising DirectorMami Kataoka (Director, ICA Kyoto)
- DirectionKodama Kanazawa (Special Project Director, ICA Kyoto)
- General CoordinationChiho Shimizu (Managing Director, ICA Kyoto)
- CoordinationKaho Domae, Saki Sahara
- Graphic Designym design (Yusuke Mimasu, Mayumi Suzuki, Hana Nakano)
- Website ProductionMasaki Nakamoto (UNGLOBAL STUDIO KYOTO), ym design (Yusuke Mimasu, Mayumi Suzuki, Hana Nakano), Kazuki Akiyama (And Arc)
- PhotographyHaruka Oka
- Interpreter (Consecutive)Miho Tsujii, Kyle Yamada
- CateringCanvasKyoto
- Event SupportGraduate School Office, Kyoto University of the Arts (Mayuko Jinta, Li Chiayun, Haruka Murakami), Academic Affairs, Graduate School (Kazumi Endo, Mana Ogino)
Inquiries
- ICA Kyoto
- Kyoto University of the Arts
- 2-116 KItashirakawa Uryuyama, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan 606-8271
- TEL: +81 (75)-791-9167
- MAIL: info-icakyoto@office.kyoto-art.ac.jp