Art
Inner strength and resilience are among the qualities that shine forth in this collection of artworks created by people affected by leprosy and those near to them.
Inner strength and resilience are among the qualities that shine forth in this collection of artworks created by people affected by leprosy and those near to them.
Japan, 1922-2011
Japan, 1944-
Contracted Hansen’s disease at age eight and entered Kikuchi Keifuen. After graduating from the high school at Nagashima-Aiseien in Okayama (the only sanatorium with a high school, where students hoping to enter college from all sanatoriums went to high school), he went to college outside the sanatorium and got a job. He marr...
Japan, 1953-1976
A harmonica band formed in 1953, started by blind and visually impaired residents of Nagashima Aiseien. They performed concerts inside and outside the sanatorium, and their performances gave their lives a new meaning. In addition to the prejudice and discrimination they faced because they had Hansen’s disease, the fact that t...
Japan, 1941-
Entered a sanatorium at age three together with her mother. Stayed in the Tatsuta Dormitory. At regular checkups in the second and third grade white spots were detected and she was pronounced to have become infected. She entered the young women’s dormitory. Dr. Reiko Nogami, the deputy head of the sanatorium, took a liking to...
Korea, 1926-
Colonel in the former medical corps 1926 Born in Pyeongannam-do (now part of North Korea) Graduated from medical school of Seoul National University, obtained Md. 1961-64 Director of National Sorokdo Hospital (1st term) 1965 Director of National Masan Hospital 1969 Director of 釜山再活病院Hospital 1970-74 Director...
China, 1948-
Anhua Chen, born in 1948 in Jiangmen, Guangdong, has been painting for over 40 years. He specializes in Xieyi (freehand style) and Gong-bi (fine-brush) in Chinese painting, having won many awards in national competitions. His work was selected in several nationally published collections of work of Chinese painters and calligr...
China, 1926-
Shiyun Chen was born in 1926 in Jiangmen, Guangdong. He was the former captain of the art troupe of the Yaxi leprosy village and he still lives in the village. He taught himself Chinese calligraphy when he was 70 years old. Excellent at the cursive hand (caoshu) and the seal script (zhuanshu), he also created a new way to pa...
Japan, 1911-
Japan, 1943-
Hiroko Kato developed leprosy at the age of about 5 or 6. She went through many experiences while not knowing she had leprosy. Ultimately, she was admitted to the Suruga Leprosarium. She was selected to participate in the outdoor sketching competition when she was a primary school student. As junior high school student he...