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Here is the third (and last, at least until my next trip to Ogijima) installment of my short series of articles about the Onba Factory, my favorite art site from the Setouchi International Art Festival.

In case you’ve missed them, you can find the first two parts there and there.

For this third part I am going to tell you about the My Onba, although there isn’t much I haven’t already told you in the previous parts, when it comes to them.

 

Onba Wall
“My Onba” photos and sketches in the Onba Factory’s main building

 

Ogijima woman with her "My Onba"

 

So just a quick reminder: The My Onba are Onba that belong to the people of Ogijima (mostly old ladies, apparently men don’t really use Onba if I understood correctly) and that have been transformed into art by the Onba Factory artists with the collaboration of the Onba‘s owner, made from parts of the original Onba and new parts that have been added to it, replacing or not older parts. The result being original, unique and beautiful new Onba that one can find a little bit everywhere on the island (Yoshifumi Ōshima informed us that they made about 30 of them and that was in October, expect a few more currently). I already have said all the good things I think about the idea and the project that will continue to have a positive impact on the island and its people long after the Festival.

I don’t have much to add, so I’ll just share a few of the My Onba I’ve found in the streets of Ogichō.

 

My Onba
The very first “My Onba” I stumbled upon in the streets of Ogi-chō

 

Post Office's My Onba
Even Ogijima’s Post Office Lady has her own My Onba

 

Post Office My Onba in Takamatsu
I ran into it again a few days later in Takamatsu’s Sunport (carrying the mail for Ogijima)

 

My Onba in Toyotama-hime Jinja
This one had been temporarily abandoned in the Toyotama-hime shrine.

 

"My Onba" in the streets of Ogijima

2 thoughts on “Onba Factory & My Onba”

  1. This is actually pretty cool. I could certainly use it in my garden when I have to haul compost, plants and heaven knows what else. Thanks for sharing!

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