Turning plastic trash into objets d’art
Hiroshi Fuji transforms unwanted children’s toys into magnificent works of art
WE LIVE IN A WORLD FULL OF PLASTIC
Hiroshi Fuji turned a piece of toy in his hand from side to side. His eyes gleamed with childlike curiosity as he inspected the colourful plastic that will be incorporated into his upcoming exhibition Jurassic Plastic at ChangChui Creative Park. Fuji’s creation of vibrant dinosaur sculptures made from plastic toys have made appearances in different countries and will soon come to Bangkok at the end of this month. The exhibition is organised by the Japan Foundation Bangkok and Chang Chui, with the support from the Embassy of Japan and the Japanese Association in Thailand.
Born in 1960 in Japan, Fuji witnessed the days when plastics weren’t so prevalent to their steady rise over the years. Now, everyone’s lives are intertwined with them.
“At first, I thought that in 10-20 years, plastic would be gone. But as I grow older, I found that they never go anywhere. And until the day I die, I will probably have to live with plastic,” said Fuji via an interpreter during his recent visit to Bangkok.
As an adult, he learned that plastic originated from crude oil, and thus connected the idea of Jurassic with plastics as they’re used today.
Around 20 years ago, he had his first child. Despite the intention to stay clear of plastic toys, his nursery was eventually filled with them. He then came up with the idea to trade unused plastic toys so they don’t end up as trash, and eventually the amount of toys continued to build up at his house.
“I feel discomfort with plastic. I began asking why there are so many of them and then collecting them to be turned into something useful. And I didn’t realise at all I would be able to collect so many.
“I eventually separated them into categories and found that there are a lot of the same toys, especially those given with meals at fast-food chains. I started turning these pieces into birds and dinosaurs. Soon, I had toys coming to me from all over Japan,” said Fuji.
Fuji’s exhibition has travelled from Japan to Sydney, Australia, and now to Bangkok. In each venue, he accepted donations of unwanted toys from the locals. In Japan, he found a lot of character and anime toys, most notably the iconic Doraemon in several versions. In Sydney, he was surprised to find bigger toys and car models made of plastic. Coming to Bangkok, he’s looking forward to seeing the toys that Thai kids and families will be bringing into the mix.
From his inspection at the collection point in ChangChui, Fuji noted different colours and motifs used in Thai toys. He also found a tuk-tuk model among the pile.
“But despite some differences, the common thing is the plastic problem. Microplastics, especially, are a global issue for the environment. This pollution is a problem shared by all, whether you’re in Japan, Australia or Thailand. How did our society turn into that of consumerism that consumes such a large amount of plastics? How will they carry on into the future? It’s an issue that we have to tackle together,” he said.
In working with plastic materials, Fuji admitted he felt uncomfortable at times. But if one does nothing with them, then these unwanted toys will just end up as trash.
“There are times I wish I could use materials like wood, fabric, and even soil in my works. But today, plastic is much more available. We have to admit we live in a world full of plastic. Some of the toys are 20-30 years old and they are still around. Years from now, they will be out of production and that will make the toys even more interesting.
“Today, plastic is viewed as trash and the evil of nature. But from that current train of thought, if someone were to turn them into something shining for those in the future to see how this plastic-infested era looks like, it’s just unpredictable how people will receive the work I do. Maybe, people will view them differently from today,” he said.
Raising the society’s awareness on such a topic through fun, colourful toys is deliberately done to draw people’s attention to the problem, Fuji added.
“It’s a tough issue. And if I choose to tell it with a difficult theme, people wouldn’t want to come,” he said. “And it’s not just about looking at the artworks themselves. What I very much want to see is the activity that will be happening with the kids and adults that will be coming in here, and how they would connect to the problems in the environment that we need to fix. We can’t fix anything if people don’t want to get involved.
“An art exhibition often creates an inspiration or even passes on certain influences. We are getting materials from Thai kids, and if Japanese kids see them, they may want to have these toys too. In a sense, it’s also about passing on the fun to one another,” Fuji added.