SWAB KIDS
Swab Barcelona presented the Swab Kids space, designed for children with the aim of integrating art into their education and personal development. We believe it is essential for art to be a part of children’s daily lives, so each year we inaugurate this space with the goal of helping both parents and children recognize and appreciate the role of art in their lives.
In this edition, the goal was to promote a cultural exchange that allowed children to explore different cultures. As part of the Focus Tokyo-Seoul programme, the Swab Kids space was dedicated to Japanese culture in collaboration with Petit Japó.
This space offered a free group activity designed to help children experience the value of collectivity and develop environmental awareness, fostering respect for nature and the environment. The proposal, titled Mural Kid’s Art, is organised by Petit Japó in collaboration with the artist Mitsuru Nagata. Over the four days of the fair, children participated in creating a sakura tree, a symbol deeply connected to Japanese culture. On the first day, Mitsuru drew the trunk and branches of the tree, initiating the activity. In the following days, Yuko from Petit Japó, together with the children, created sakura flowers using washi paper (calligraphy paper) and applying traditional techniques such as folding (折), cutting (切), and dyeing (染). These flowers were added to the tree, transforming the mural into a collective and evolving artwork.
The sakura, known for its seasonal cycle, blooms in spring, fills with green leaves in summer, changes to yellow and red tones in autumn, and sheds its leaves in winter. The Kid’s Art mural begun by representing winter and, as the children contributed, gradually evolved into spring.
In addition, the space featured three sumi-e drawings created by Mitsuru, which children coloured in with POSCA markers and took home as a souvenir of the experience.
Additionally, Swab Kids offered three paid workshops where participants could learn origami techniques and paint traditional kitsune masks. These workshops wwere held at various times throughout the fair:
Each child, using their imagination and creativity, had the opportunity to paint their own mask, which they could then take home and use as a decoration.
In this origami workshop, children learned how to create spinning tops using three origami sheets, which they could then play with afterwards.
In this workshop, participants learned how to make paper balloons, which they could decorate as lanterns and display in any space in their homes.
With these activities, Swab Kids reinforced its commitment to integrating art and culture into children’s education, offering a playful and creative space where art becomes a vehicle for learning and cultural reflection.
*Petit Japó, founded by Yuko Nakajima, is a workshop space located in the Gracia district of Barcelona. Its main objective is to raise awareness of Japanese traditions in various forms, including art, culture, gastronomy, and more, while promoting new philosophies of life. Petit Japó organises workshops and courses based on ancestral techniques such as Kintsugi and meditation through Japanese calligraphy, as well as activities related to cooking and handicrafts.
*Mitsuru Nagata is a sumi-e and shodō artist based in Barcelona. Born in Kyoto in 1979, he began studying shodō (Japanese calligraphy) at the age of six. He holds a degree in sociology from Kyoto Buddhist University and is a master of Japanese calligraphy. Throughout his career, he has refined his technique, developing a personal and contemporary style that blends sumi-e painting with shodō calligraphy.
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