Japan Creative Centre (JCC) is pleased to present "Tanabata", a Talk and Workshop by Kensuke Miyazaki. The Tanabata Project aims to connect people in the affected area in Tohoku and people in Singapore who are supporting their reconstruction by crafting Tanabata with sentiments of hope.

Mr. Miyazaki will introduce the history of Tanabata and how it is closely related to the core of the Japanese culture and psyche. He will touch upon modern art expression juxtaposed to traditional art expression in relation to Japanese festivities, and discuss their similarities and differences. Mr. Miyazaki will also talk about how the expression of art is woven into the communicative process of the people in the locale by drawing upon examples from his own experience and art pieces.

At the workshop, participants are to write their “words of wishes” in one side of an oval-shaped paper, and on the other side, they are to draw any illustrations or artworks that convey their wishes as colourful as possible. Mr. Miyazaki will bring the finished artworks to the affected areas in Japan to exhibit in a few locations and, eventually, Tanabata festivals in Tohoku next summer.

A few workshops have been conducted in Singapore and almost 800 artworks have been contributed so far. Mr. Miyazaki aims to collect 2000 from Singapore, and will combine them with works which were done by people in Japan. The completed art piece will be a cumulation of the hopes and wishes of people in Singapore and Japan for the reconstruction of Tohoku under the Tanabata Project.

EVENT DETAILS:

DATE: Friday, 25th November, 2011
TIME: 6.30pm to 8.00pm (Including Q & A)
VENUE: Japan Creative Centre, 4 Nassim Road
REGISTRATION BEGINS AT 6.00pm

Note: Please be kindly reminded to bring along your crayons and color pens for the workshop.

PROFILE OF KENSUKE MIYAZAKI

Mr. Miyazaki was born in 1978 in Saga Prefecture in Japan and he completed a postgraduate research study in Art and Design from Tsukuba University. His works are exhibited in numerous galleries, such as Gallery Conceal in Tokyo, Noborito Art Street, Kanagawa, Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto, Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale in Niigata, Sendai Media Take in Miyagi and so on.

Just after March 11th, he asked himself what he could do and what he should do for the people in the affected areas. Mr. Miyazaki started workshops drawing pictures with people at several shelters in the affected area. Those paintings, named as “Hand in Hand” project, have depicted icons and familiar sights from their towns, and, since their hometowns has been damaged by tsunami, those paintings have warmed the hearts of many people at the shelters.

Please kindly rsvp your interest in the above event via email to jcc@sn.mofa.go.jp by 21st November. Please register early to avoid disappointment. We regret to inform that as there are limited seating, seats will be confirmed only upon receipt of confirmation email from JCC. ALL EVENTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE.