A group of Taiwanese artists has teamed up with their Japanese counterparts to launch a 'white house' art project in Japan with the aim of lightening the spirits of earthquake victims there.
From May 1 through 5, 36 Taiwanese and Japanese artists will create paintings on a white building that they have constructed from canvases in Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture, according to Taiwan's Formosa Wall Painting Group, which initiated the project.
Miyagi Prefecture was one of the areas hardest hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, which killed 15,883 people and left 2,681 missing.
'We hope to use the power of art to help the victims get back on their feet,' said Hung Yu-ling, an administrative official of the group.
Around 40 paintings will be created on the walls of the building, while children from the disaster area will be invited to paint stones and exhibit their work, the Kaohsiung-based group said.
The paintings will be on display in Ishinomaki until July, after which the portable 'white house' exhibit will be moved to Otsuchi in Iwate Prefecture and then to Kobe in southwestern Japan, Hung said.
Otsuchi was heavily hit by the 2011 earthquake, while Kobe was devastated by a deadly quake in 1995.
The Arts Development Association of Taiwan's Formosa Wall Painting Group was established in 2010 with the aim of showcasing the visual arts and aesthetics of contemporary Taiwan.
It launched its first 'white house' project in 2010 in Taiwan and has since held exhibitions in several places around the country. So far, over 150 artists have showcased their paintings in the association's 'white house' exhibitions, according to Hung.