Braille digiart

🌸小学校新聞　点字デジタルアートってなあに？School Newspaper: What is Braille Digital Art?🌸

Braille digital art created by a visually impaired person.

Slow down! What exactly is “Braille Digital Art,” the new art form you feel with your heart, even if you can’t see?

You probably think of painting as something you “see with your eyes,” right? Well, that’s not always the case! Braille Digital Art is an amazing new art form that allows everyone—both those who can and cannot see—to share in a single, powerful experience.

This is what Braille Digital Art is all about:

1. Feel the pictures in your heart with all your senses!

  • The artists who create these pieces are visually impaired. But they have beautiful “pictures in their minds” that are truly incredible.
  • This art allows you to feel those mental images not just with your eyes, but in three different ways: by touching the art, hearing the art, and (for some people) seeing the art.

2. A talented AI and a human artist work together to bring the artist’s “feelings” to life!

  • You might be wondering, “How can a visually impaired person paint?” That’s where a smart AI (Artificial Intelligence) and a professional artist come in!
  • First, the visually impaired artist might say something like, “The white wall of Himeji Castle was very impressive.” The AI will then create an initial picture based on those words.
  • But the AI’s picture might not fully capture the artist’s mental image. That’s when the human artist steps in!
  • The human artist listens carefully to the deeper feelings behind the “white wall”—things you can’t see with your eyes, like “memories of my father long ago” or “the rough texture of the wall.”
  • The artist then gives the AI more detailed instructions. Together, they consult with the visually impaired artist to transform the AI’s image into a tactile “Braille” picture that’s pleasant to touch, a sonic “audio” picture that’s fun to listen to, and a beautiful “digital” picture that can be seen on a screen!
  • The human artist acts like a super translator, turning the artist’s feelings into a form that everyone can appreciate.

3. Enjoy art with your “whole body,” not just your eyes!

  • You can use your fingers to feel the raised dots of the Braille art, listen to the sounds flowing from the picture to imagine a story, or (if you can see) watch the beautiful digital image on a monitor.
  • This allows everyone to enjoy art using the senses they’re best at.
  • It’s like enjoying a festival stall—you can smell the takoyaki, hear the sound of the drums, and see the lanterns, all with different senses!

4. It’s a new kind of art where everyone can say, “Wow, that’s amazing!”

  • Braille Digital Art is not just a form of art where sighted people judge the work of visually impaired artists.
  • When sighted people experience the unique and interesting worlds inside a visually impaired artist’s heart by touching and hearing the art, they can feel a new sense of discovery and inspiration.
  • This shared feeling is proof that this is a new kind of art where people from all over the world can truly enjoy and be moved together. What do you think? Did that help you understand how wonderful Braille Digital Art is?

This is a new art form for the future that connects everyone’s hearts and senses!

Come and experience it for yourself!