Friday, November 13th, 2009
“Orphan Meets Artist” Cambodia/Japan Workshop
In early 2009, Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC)‘s “Orphan Meets Artist/Artist Meets Orphan” program saw as Activity 1 an art workshop for HIV/AIDS orphans in Uganda. A Tokyo symposium in July discussed the potential role of art in the area of development.
Focusing on orphans in Cambodia, Activity 2 is called “Hanbun Hanbun/Pakondal—- Cambodian HIV/AIDS Orphans Meet Japanese Artists”. A videoconference workshop was held on November 8, connecting TDLC with the World Bank Phnom Penh office.
Chidren participating in the workshop at the World Bank Cambodia office
-World Bank Cambodia
Chikara Matsumoto (right) and Daisuke Nagaoka(left) participating from Tokyo
In the back is drawing by Matsumoto - Tokyo Development Learning Center
“Hanbun-hanbun” is a playful Japanese expression meaning “fifty-fifty,” expressed as “Pakondal” in Khmer. The term became part of the title, hoping to emphasize the mutual fifty-fifth sharing of artistic creation in Cambodia and Japan.
Participating in the event in Cambodia were 16 HIV/AIDS orphans aged 12 and 13. These children have lost either or both parents to AIDS, and live in a Phnom Penh community, supported by local NGO TASK.
Japanese artists Chikara Matsumoto and Daisuke Nagaoka, the former specializing in animation and the latter in paiting, created and ran the workshop from scratch. Cambodian artists Peou Sam-an and Phe Sophon helped to guide the children at the Phnom Penh connection site.
Matsumoto and Nagaoka first introduced themselves, using a diorama set they’d made from cardboard. As the artists in both countries each then proceeded to show their work, the children’s eyes grew huge in fascination and were glued to the videoconference screen.
Everyone at the two venues then sang a popular Cambodian song together, sharing the joy of spending time together, “Hanbun-hanbun” despite the physical distance. After the chorus, the Cambodian children each started to draw a pictures of their favorite topics and landscapes, using color pens.
There were drawings of snow scenes according to the children’s imagination, pictures of deer living in their neighborhoods, farms, temples, and their favorite animation characters.
Matsumoto and Nagaoka trying to communicate with the children while they were drawing - Tokyo Development Learning Center
There are individuality in each drawings - Tokyo Development Learning Center
In the next workshop coming up on November 15, the children will paste their picture onto the diorama set and explain to the Japanese artists and participants.
