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Fall 2026 priority deadline for transfer and graduate studies is January 5.

Program

Our vision

Curriculum →

Mission →

Community

Who we celebrate

Faculty →

Chair →

Staff →

Students →

Work

We strive for

Recent Work →

Ventures →

News →

FAQs →

Apply Now →

Search

be touch banner and a person orienting a light above it

Touching Hearts: Makiko Higashi

Touching Hearts: Makiko Higashi

Date

By Nigel Sielegar

For Stefan Sagmeister's final "Touch Someone's Heart" class first year MFA Design students created a variety of projects on the theme of "What I Learned in My Life, So Far." Over the next few days we will survey some of them.
Makiko Higashi chose "be tough / be fleixble."
"This piece is made from almost 4000 straws each of that diffuse the light altogether. When you stand right in front of this piece you see the words 'BE TOUGH' that are at the bottom of the straws through their holes. But as the angle shifts to the sides, 'BE TOUGH' fades and the straw type 'Be Flexible' starts being seen.
This effect also reflects the concept of the words 'Be Tough & Be Flexible.' Dimensions: 58'×16'."

transparent straws lit from behind



transparent straws lit from behind



be touch banner with transparent straws arranged as a calligraphy text lit from above



be touch banner with transparent straws arranged as a calligraphy text lit from above



be touch banner with transparent straws arranged as a calligraphy text lit from above

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310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu