Empty beer cans piled up in the room.
It has been reborn as an art piece that is popular with children.
The author is an old man from Nishinari Ward, Osaka, who has spent his life unrelated to art.
When I asked her why she made it, she gave an unexpected answer.
(Osaka Broadcasting Station Happiness News coverage team Yumi Takano)
In a space covered with cardboard...
An unusual art exhibition held in Osaka.
The venue is covered with cardboard, and works using familiar things such as empty cans and flyers are lined up.
All of them were made by old men from Nishinari Ward, Osaka.
The walls and ceiling are lined with unique messages on paper and cardboard.
"Death drowning
.
"
The freedom is just overwhelming.
"There is no set line for happiness"
There was a popular work for children at the venue.
Karakuri dolls made from empty beer cans.
It was made in the image of Tsutenkaku, and you can keep drinking beer with your hands moving.
The author is Mr. Takeshi (75), who is called "Karakuri Doctor" by his friends.
Takeshi loves beer.
I drank six bottles a day, and there were always piles of empty cans in my room.
One day, I came up with the idea that if I use this to make a work, I can make money.
Half of the week I went to the library and studied how to make it.
"When I brought a small Tsutenkaku tower, people praised me. This is wonderful. If people praise me and stroke my head, I will be happy no matter how old I am."
It takes half a year to make one work, and in fact, it hardly makes money.
However, all the works are full of smiles.
"I'm sorry if I look gloomy in front of other people. I'm always in the dark. I'm always smiling. My heart is crying. There's no set line for happiness. You decide it yourself. Even though you're not happy. I can make people happy.”
At some point, I began to create works not for money, but for myself.
The reactions of people who have seen my work have led to my current motivation.
"Even if people get old. They want a place to belong to themselves. With society. No matter how thin the thread is, it's okay if it's not connected. Why is my presence disappearing? Because I am making this, I still have my presence.
“There is something like a source of art here.”
It was the poet Kanayo Ueda (53) who inspired the old men to create art.
We run a guest house and a cafe in a corner of the shopping street in the Airin district of Nishinari Ward.
The words “Kamagasaki University of Arts” are written at the entrance.
Held an opera here with Tsudo-Otchan and others, and performed in a chorus.
We are working on art activities on the stage of the whole city.
“I wonder if there is something like the source of art here, something like the root. Things that can be expressed while unraveling the pain of the heart and all kinds of suffering are heartwarming and heartwarming. was done
If you accumulate small things, you will find great happiness
Some people said that they found a place to live after meeting Mr. Ueda.
My name is Keijiro (67).
Keijiro used to run a company, but it is said that he was burdened with a large amount of debt and experienced living on the streets.
As he moved from one place to another, he still cannot forget the words Mr. Ueda said to him.
“When I told him I was going on a wandering journey, he suddenly turned around and shouted, ‘You have a place to go back!’
Is there anything I can do?
One thing Keijiro does without fail is cleaning the toilet.
Mr. Ueda told me that it's easy to get bored, but it's been going on for two years.
For Keijiro, it's time to reconsider himself.
He says that the most enjoyable part of the job is drinking the coffee that is brewed for him at the end of cleaning.
Time to write a poem together.
What Keijiro wrote was...
Keijiro's poem,
"Rolling around and calming down and being in a dream," expresses his true feelings.
"It's up to you to make the most of the encounter. I want to cherish this encounter and live until now. If you accumulate small things, you will become a big happiness for yourself. If that's enough, don't be greedy. Don't give up, but don't be discouraged. Living is also a form of expression.
The weight of the word “happiness” that I felt during the interview
I, who interviewed him, was moved when I saw the art for the first time.
I was surprised that empty beer cans, leaflets, and drawing paper could turn into such an interesting work, and I was also moved by the thought, "I can't make it myself, I can't imitate it."
The uncles who made the work were unique and fun people, but they also told me about the hardships they had so far.
But I turned those experiences into art.
And above all, I felt the weight of the word “happiness” spoken by the mouths of old men.
Until February 13th, you can see the works of the old men at the "Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2023" held at the Senba Excel Building in Osaka.
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