Kotani Kauzo's Sleeping Whale (Photo: Jose Manuel Zardain)

Tanpopo-no-ye Art Exhibition

Adult artists with disabilities exhibit their pieces

Kotani Kauzo's Sleeping Whale (Photo: Jose Manuel Zardain)
José Manuel Zardain   - 2 min read

If you’re planning to go to Wakayama City in the following weeks, don’t miss the chance to visit a unique exhibition. Excellent artists will be displaying their pieces; original, beautiful and thoughtful paintings and sculptures using various techniques and subjects as inspiration. The most interesting and rewarding detail of the presentation is that all artists are adults with some type of disability.

Tanpopo-no-ye Foundation is a nonprofit organisation which mission is to support and integrate people with disabilities into society. They work for them to live in a community with their fullest potential, making them not only feel part of it, but also to belong as useful, helpful, and valuable. One of their main pillars is the care and assistance of the people working through the production of art.

In the following weeks, all master pieces of these greats artists will be displayed in Wakayama City. From October 28 to 30, the exhibition will take place at the basement of JR Wakayama station. From November 18 to 20, it will take displayed at Ra Ra Locale, very close to JR Kii-Tanabe station. Entrance is free and it will be open from 10 am to 6 pm. Maybe you are lucky and meet some of the artists that will visit the exhibition.

The Able-Art Kinki 2016 topic is “Move Heart by Art.” It’s an attempt from Tanpopo-no-ye and the National Association of Labour Banks as sponsor, to show that people with disabilities can live a life full of potential and with an impact in society. The exhibition wants to prove that art is only an example of it.

If you are in the city before the exhibition starts, Guesthouse Rico (5-6, Shintori, Wakayama-shi, Wakayama Pref) has a private collection of the works that will be displayed. The reception and rooms are decorated with various paintings of the talented artists. Just ask Mari or Takashi, at reception, and they will gladly show them to you.

Although you might want to buy some of the amazing and creative pieces, unfortunately they are not for sale. You can take as many pictures as you want though.

For more information about the organisation (in English) visit http://tanpoponoye.org/english/ and about the exhibition (only in Japanese) visit http://tanpoponoye.org/news/general/2016/09/43494764/

José Manuel Zardain

José Manuel Zardain @jose.manuel.zardain

Mexican photographer and travel passionate.