SWAB KIDS
A PROGRAM BY SWAB FOUNDATION
Swab Barcelona presented the Swab Kids space in its latest edition, designed for children with the aim of integrating art into their educational process and personal development. We consider it essential for art to be part of children’s daily lives, which is why we inaugurate this space every year to encourage both parents and children to recognize and appreciate the role of art in their lives.
This edition aimed to promote a cultural exchange that would allow children to explore different cultures. As part of the Focus Tokyo-Seoul program, the Swab Kids space was dedicated to Japanese culture in collaboration with Petit Japó.
This space offered a free group activity designed for children to experience the value of collectivity and develop environmental awareness, fostering respect for nature and their surroundings.
The proposal, titled Mural Kid’s Art, was organized by Petit Japó in collaboration with artist Mitsuru Nagata. During the four days of the fair, children participated in the creation of a sakura tree, a symbol deeply connected to Japanese culture. On the first day, Mitsuru drew the trunk and branches of the tree, marking the beginning of the activity. In the following days, Yuko from Petit Japó, along with the children, crafted 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 an ephemeral collective artwork.
Through this mural, the communal creation of the sakura allowed children to experience, through their collective effort in building the blossoming tree, the way nature itself brings spring to life. As a result, the mural evolved with each new contribution, showing how, through collaboration, they brought the sakura into full bloom—celebrating the strength of collectivity reflected in the season’s renewal.
Petit Japó, created by Yuko Nakajima, is a workshop-space located in the district of Gracia, Barcelona, whose main objective is to raise awareness of Japanese tradition in its many facets (art, culture, gastronomy, etc.), promoting new philosophies of life. Petit Japó organises workshops and courses based on ancestral techniques such as Kintsugi or 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 perfected his technique, developing a personal and contemporary style that combines sumi-e painting with shodō calligraphy.
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