Gwangju City Holds Exhibition of Senior Citizens' 'Life Masterpiece' Ttobagi Club Works

Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Bang Se-hwan) is attracting attention by holding a special art exhibition featuring the autonomous health club for seniors aged 65 and over, ‘Ttobagi’.

Mayor Bang Se-hwan of Gwangju City (center) is taking a commemorative photo after holding a special art exhibition with the autonomous health club "Ttobagi" for seniors aged 65 and over. Photo by Gyeonggi Gwangju City

This exhibition is held under the theme ‘Everyone is a Flower, Always the Same,’ and it signifies the first creative works made with rough hands by seniors who have been far from artistic activities throughout their lives, rather than professional artists.

The exhibition is open until the 29th in the lobby on the 2nd floor of City Hall, showcasing 21 flower drawings created only with pencils and colored pencils, and 8 life calendars reflecting the hardships and memories of their lives to the citizens.

Along with this, banners promoting healthy living practices and leaflets are being distributed to help seniors like those in Ttobagi enjoy a healthy old age.

One senior who submitted a work to the exhibition said, “After undergoing surgery on both knees, I went through a depressing and difficult time, but I felt healing while creating the artwork, and I am truly proud that such comforting feelings are reflected in my work. I never imagined I would learn to paint in my lifetime, and I am grateful to teacher Yoo Hye-sook, who taught me diligently and helped me find a new hobby.”

Mayor Bang Se-hwan stated, “I hope this exhibition becomes an opportunity to heal the hardships of the seniors’ past lives and enhance their self-esteem, offering comfort to the older generation and a gentle inspiration as ‘life mentors’ to the younger generation. We will continue to strive for various health promotion projects that serve as emotional communication spaces among local residents.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.