We Did It! Otsukaresamadeshita The Big Draw Japan 2017!
A big thank you to all the trailblazers who braved the typhoon and joined us for the very first Big Draw Japan!
We celebrated the world’s largest drawing festival, The Big Draw, at the beautiful Toriizaka Art Gallery Tokyo this October. The Big Draw 2017’s theme? Living Lines. Here are ours!!!
“Living Lines – lines that we inhabit, lines that we live in.
Timelines – lines connecting the past and the future.
Organic Lines – connecting us with our place in a bigger picture.
Storylines – connecting the memories, feelings and ideas that make up a life.”
– DMK
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Came home with much joy in my heart after spending a wonderful Sunday afternoon with these people!
All kinds of drawings and enjoyed hearing different ideas and perspectives too – left with sparks of inspiration flying off our rain boots!
Okaasan and Otosan were excited to see everyone’s drawings and I was equally amazed by theirs – Otosan said it had been 30 years since he last drew!
Thank you for braving the rain and your drawing boards. Drawing for me’s an ongoing challenge, full of infinite discoveries, which is why I led the description of our event with the famous quote by our main man here:
“I have drawn things since I was six. All that I made before the age of sixty-five is not worth counting. At seventy-three I began to understand the true construction of animals, plants, trees, birds, fishes, and insects. At ninety I will enter into the secret of things. At a hundred and ten, everything–every dot, every dash–will live.”
― Hokusai Katsushika
It’s a never ending adventure and something I hope to be doing well into my hundreds – I wonder what we’ll be pondering then, or will we have escaped the thinking mind all together??
Anyway, for whatever reason you had for joining, thank you and thank you for bringing your family too – this made it extra special!
Where will we be in 2018? Stay tuned to find out! And in the mean time, remember…
“When In Doubt…Draw!”
Details & Enquiries For Drawing Classes, Workshops Or The Big Draw Japan 2018: info@divyamariekato.com
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INVITATION TO THE BIG DRAW 2017 ***event now over, stay tuned for 2018!***
“I have drawn things since I was six. All that I made before the age of sixty-five is not worth counting. At seventy-three I began to understand the true construction of animals, plants, trees, birds, fishes, and insects. At ninety I will enter into the secret of things. At a hundred and ten, everything–every dot, every dash–will live.”
― Hokusai Katsushika
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The Big Draw is the world’s biggest drawing festival and this year…
we’re bringing it to Japan!
Two of Tokyo’s female entrepreneurs, Divya Marie Kato of When In Doubt, Draw and Karen Thomas of Toriizaka Art are coming together to host The Big Draw Japan 2017 as part of the International Animated Big Draw Festival this October, called Living Lines.
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Living Lines:
This Animated Big Draw Festival will take place for 31 days from 1-31 October 2017. Since 2000, the annual, international celebration of drawing, which brings people together under the banner ‘drawing is a universal language’, regularly takes place in over 25 countries, involves over 1000 events and has encouraged over 4 million people back to the drawing board.
Arts education charity, The Big Draw, the founder and driving force behind the festival, believes that ‘everyone can draw’. They also promote drawing as a universal language that has the power to change lives and unite people of any age, background, race, or religion from around the globe. Anyone can register or attend an event as part of the festival.
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The Big Draw Japan 2017 will be hosted by artist and founder of When In Doubt, Draw, Divya Marie Kato and founder of Toriizaka Art, Karen Thomas, in Tokyo Sunday October 22nd 2-4pm at Toriizaka Art ¥1000* Toriizaka Art | Homat Monarch #105 | 2-20-13 Hiroo | Shibuya-ku | Tokyo 150-0012
*exact change please
Schools: Want to get involved or have a drawing event at your school in October?
Contact: info@divyamariekato.com to get Divya to come and facilitate a workshop at your school!
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Events vary in size, from small workshops to country-wide, month-long celebrations. No previous drawing experience is required, although plenty of well-known artists take part, including: Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell, artist Tanya Raabe-Webber, illustrators Oliver Jeffers, Posy Simmonds and Sir Quentin Blake.
Kate Mason, director of The Big Draw:
“As always, The Big Draw Festival is for anyone who loves to draw, as well as those who think they can’t! For 31 days in over 25 countries, Living Lines: An Animated Big Draw Festival will bring together hundreds of thousands of people to learn, experiment and bring ideas to life through drawing and animation.
Organisers with no animation experience need not be worried. From the earliest days with pre-film animation devices such as Zoetropes, to the most cutting edge digital drawing and animation technologies, there is a long history of people finding ways to create moving images.
Remember, if cave men can be animators so can you. Whether organising or participating, Living Lines is an opportunity for individuals, organisations and even countries to join a global community in celebration of the universal language of drawing.”
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To find out more about the Festival and The Big Draw Japan 2017 visit:
[link to event listing on www.thebigdraw.org: http://www.thebigdraw.org/event/7799]
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For further information about this event and press enquiries, contact The Big Draw Japan 2017 organisers:
Divya Marie Kato (English) info@divyamariekato.com 090 9107 4742
Masahiro Kato (Japanese) info@divyamariekato.com 090 9159 6382
Big Draw Japan 2017
The Big Draw Japan 2017 will be hosted by artist and founder of When In Doubt, Draw, Divya Marie Kato and founder of Toriizaka Art, Karen Thomas, in Tokyo Sunday October 22nd Toriizaka Art 2-4pm ¥1000* (*exact change please) | Toriizaka Art | Homat Monarch #105 | 2-20-13 Hiroo | Shibuya-ku | Tokyo 150-0012
Schools: Get Drawing! Email info@divyamariekato.com to get Divya come and facilitate a workshop!
For further information about The Big Draw Festival, contact:
Amy Clancy, Press and Communications Manager, The Big Draw
Tel. 0203 758 4118; Email: amy@thebigdraw.org; Website: www.thebigdraw.org
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Notes To Editors:
The Big Draw Japan 2017
Sunday October 22nd 2-4pm ¥1000 (exact change please) at Toriizaka Art, Hiro-o
Hosted by Divya Marie Kato of When In Doubt, Draw & Karen Thomas of Toriizaka Art Toriizaka Art | Homat Monarch #105 | 2-20-13 Hiroo | Shibuya-ku | Tokyo 150-0012
Booking: Email info@divyamariekato.com
Artist and Founder of When In Doubt, Draw, Divya Marie Kato FRSA, is bringing the world’s biggest drawing festival to Japan! Divya has been sharing drawing through classes and events for over 11 years in Japan and is a passionate advocate for elevating the role of art in education and making it accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Karen Thomas, Founder of Toriizaka Art, our venue for The Big Draw Japan 2017, started her gallery our of her passion to share art with others. Since opening its doors in 2006, Toriizaka Art has welcomed thousands of guests into its modest gallery space in central Tokyo.
The gallery, featuring a diverse selection of exceptional art, primarily from Vietnam, is a stunning testament to how living with art transforms your whole life and is the perfect place for us to gather for The Big Draw Japan 2017! The event is open to anyone who loves to draw, as well as those who think they can’t! It’s an opportunity to join a global community in celebration of the universal language of drawing. Bring nothing but a willingness to create, connect and celebrate!
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The Big Draw Festival
Launched in October 2000, The Big Draw Festival has encouraged over four million people back to the drawing board. It has notched up two world records – for the longest drawing in the world (one kilometre) and the greatest number of people drawing simultaneously (over 7,000).
The first Big Draw Festival in 2000 attracted 180 partner organisations. Since then, the number has risen to over 1,000, with over 400,000 people participating each year. What began as a one day celebration of drawing in October 2000 in the UK, is now an annual month long festival of drawing across the world. To find your nearest event or find out more about organising one visit: www.thebigdraw.org
Patrons include Quentin Blake, Andrew Marr, Bob & Roberta Smith RA, Lord Foster of Thames Bank, David Hockney OM CH, Sir Roger Penrose OM, Gerald Scarfe CBE, Posy Simmonds MBE and Children’s Laureate, Chris Riddell.
