多摩美術大学生産デザイン学科テキスタイルデザイン専攻、2025年度前期の交換留学生を紹介します。

LUCAS PARRA VALLEJOさん（オスロ国立芸術大学）、SHIVARAM Chandanaさん（ナショナル・インスティテュート・オブ・デザイン）の2名が4月から8月まで、さまざまなクラスに参加し制作に取り組みます。

LUCAS PARRA VALLEJO

Hello! My name is Lucas, and I am an exchange student from the Oslo Academy of the Arts where I am currently completing an MA in Fashion Design. In my design practice I am working with ways in which signs and symbols are used to communicate within menswear and how we perceive social ideas of class, authority and social identity through the garments we wear.

I am very excited to come to Tamabi as a way of deepening my knowledge and experiences with craft as an element of design. I am currently enrolled in and working with weaving and screen printing, and I hope to work more with designing print patterns and illustrations. I am also very excited to work with the studio subjects surrounding the use and design of textiles in a three-dimensional space.

At the moment, I am working on a series of textile works that explore the intersection of menswear and technological imagery, inspired by the transhumanist themes in the works of Shirow Masamune.  

During my exchange I am also spending lots of time exploring local culture, galleries and museums to learn more about contemporary and traditional textile works and fashion practices.

SHIVARAM Chandana

Hello, I’m Chandana, a third-year Textile Design student from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. I am genuinely excited to be part of the exchange program at Tama Art University, where I have the unique opportunity to deepen my knowledge of textile design within a vibrant new cultural and academic environment. Immersing myself in Japan’s rich design heritage, I aim to broaden my creative and visual vocabulary through interactions with people, exposure to culture, nature, and the subtleties of everyday life.

My work is deeply rooted in traditional crafts and their stories. Documenting the Chariot Textiles in Tamil Nadu, India, has been a meaningful experience, helping me connect with artisan communities and explore the anthropological aspects of craft. Alongside this, I practice printmaking, weaving, and curating, always eager to experiment with new materials and techniques to push my creative boundaries.

My experience at Tama so far has been incredibly welcoming and inspiring. The campus is beautiful, with thoughtful infrastructure and a serene environment that fosters concentration and creativity. The atmosphere here is lively and filled with passionate people who motivate me to push myself further in my work. Being part of such a creative community is truly energizing.

Outside academics, I have a passion for photography and have been documenting my time in Japan through my father’s vintage Japanese film camera, which adds a special personal touch to my journey. I also enjoy live sketching—whether I’m travelling on the metro or waiting for my food, it’s a way for me to capture fleeting moments and stories from everyday life. Another unexpected joy has been exploring Japanese supermarkets. The packaging design fascinates me—it reveals so much about the culture’s aesthetics and values.

I also love collecting natural souvenirs like stones and twigs from places I visit; recently, I picked up stones from Mount Fuji and bamboo twigs from Kyoto, which I plan to gift to friends back home. I collect interesting bills and illustrated paper scraps as well, preserving them in a scrapbook as mementos of this unique experience.

This exchange is much more than an academic opportunity—it’s a personal and creative journey that I am eager to continue. I look forward to learning, growing, and sharing throughout my time at Tama Art University.