Exhibition "the 1213 experience;25/28"

August was stressful and busy, the first half was very stressful and the latter half was busy. I scheduled to have an exhibition at cafe green located in Gion area of Kyoto at the latter half of August mainly exhibiting works from 2013. I didn't think I'll be bogged down with preparation.
Works were packed little by little so I assumed I needed to organized unframed works and pack them. Just that, took me a while.
The name of the exhibition"the 1213 experience; 25/28" started on 8/27/2016 until 9/3/2016 7:30pm just a week.
The day before was scheduled for carrying in my works, unpack, and exhibit. My plan was after work eat dinner, leave around 10:00pm and carry everything stating the display. However there were still some things that needed to be done like framing, cutting a background paper, and making captions.

My new associate/partner came to help me out that night. I hoped that everything will go speedy but it didn't and we left a bit after 11:40ish to take the subway. I thought that I couldn't make it on time so I quickly decided to catch a cab.
Luckily we got one. 20 minutes or so of time to do everything was all the time we had; the cafe closes at midnight.

It took us a while to settle everything and hang everything.

The owner of the cafe helped us get everything in order and assisted me. Obviously it is dark out, the night was just starting at Gion area, and I missed my final train. The weather was good so I didn't bother walking back.

So here it is. I decided not to have a caption so people could see the works without any kind of guidance with free perspective. I only needed signs, my bio and introduction which I left for the following day, the beginning day of the exhibition. This day and the following day was really heavy.

Yo its been a while... dont realy know what to post, so gonna post series of collage works, used to decorate notebook, boxes or containers,and to make a book cover. I used lables/tags extracted from clothe, boxes containing goods, or random documents.

Inside a small palm sized note book.

A tin box i use to store drill bits. Originally it was a can to store rosin and cloth for a Danish gasmask.

Etching tool case. Made the tube and decorated it.

The tube closed.

A book cover. I used my logo mark collaborating with this series.

A shoe box. Lables /tags from Czech, Italy, Germany, Sweden, and replicated US military rekated prints.

The first one i made back in 2010. Spanish cigarette boxes to make a case and tray for set of Spanish Playing cards.

Here i post works i uploaded on instagram and facebook.

These are drawn on craft paper or paper used to wrap or function as a softner for merchandize acquired from work. Most of them are black ink or acrylic on paper.

Went to Vietnam on a business trip

Hey gang, how you all been doing? It's been a while since the last update...
I live in Kyoto, Japan since spring of 2007 and still live here. I work at a warehouse of a wholesale department handling military surplus, remake goods, and replicated items since 2013.
Once a year, the manager of the Dept. And manager of retail dept. Goes to Europe to get handled items. I usually make all the phone calls and send mails before departure to set up a schedule. I only do what I am told and nothing more. I also am part on oversea shipment and such because of my ability to use English.
Being a man who handles oversea area of the work, my boss knows very much of my skill.
IDK if all my work paid off to this, I was asked to go on a trip with my boss as an interpreter. I can't talk much about what I do, and what I did on my business trip, but I'd like to post pictures of the trip.
It's a very big thing for me because I felt I moved up a step at the firm and a exciting life event.

Exhibition information

I have a exhibition at a cafe in Gion area of Kyoto called cafeGreen.
Its a New Zealand cafe gallery located near the Shijyo Yamato Ooji intersection, right across from the Issenyoushyokuya.
The term is from 12th to 20th. 12:00 - 24:00 and the final day the display is until 18:00. Since its a cafe, you have to at least order one item.
I have four days left.

Indigo dye workshop at Hozucho, Kameoka

I started to have visits to kameoka, a neighboring city located beyond the western mountain lines of Kyoto. I met the guy who coordinates the workshop last year before I visited Slovenia. Since I never been to kameoka, and only once to the western area of the region, it was a delightful experience.

Participants vary per day, but the maxim amount of ppl I've seen is around 40 ppl, and got to know five or six of the participants, mostly older than me from different parts of Kansai region.

Wow it's been like...several months since the last entry?
The last four month of my life was crazy...
September; three things started to nail me.

I finally was able to save up a certain amount I set myself to do back in 2011(executed in 2013 when i  got the job) and now happy, thought that I will be able to spend my money on art more. I was looking forward to financial deal. However, I started to feel uncomfortable around my waist and back. I later found out that my body has accumulated stress to a point that it made me uncomfortable doing regular routines at work.
I was busy trying to produce stocks for an coming art market and organizing exhibition dragging my tired body. My body was in bad shape and I had problems. Physically I was in stress and to get this taken care of, it cost me. Twice a week I go to a chiropractic and pay for check up and another fee that the insurance does not cover.
Next thing was labor bereau. A colleague who got fired from many reasons but mainly from angering an senior at work, decided to go visit the labor bereau. Being simple he is, he asked my boss to tell me to call me after work, the day he got fired. So my boss speculated something was going on. He could of just called or text me instead of having a third person pass on a message. Anyway, He wanted me to get involved to testify because he said his testify cation of harassment by the senior will not be valid because he does not work at the firm anymore. I met this guy many times and discussed what to testify, how to, and organize the unreasonable things at work. It was good at this point but he pressured me to visit the bereau with him rushed me get a day off. There was no need to go together, we could of went separately but he stated it will be "invalid testimony unless someone who is still working at the firm comes" the colleague promised to testify all the harassment and pressure I experienced in detail.
We went together but he did nothing and I ended up doing all the talking. He didn't testify anything, instead started to shoot down my testimony. The bureaucrat who was in charge of us started to advise the colleague who got fired ways to shake the firm to get the point across and may get a settle. Hearing about money, the colleague changed his attitude and started to speak. I felt that this was a waste of time and took me nowhere. I could of went to work that day instead and made money but I didn't and it got me nothing but a waste and guilt; now I need to hide this fact I ratted out on the company.
The colleague didn't put any consideration of the position I am in and started talking things I didn't want him to and also after leaving the bereau was totally open. Anyone can sight us together and I was worried, he wasn't.
Until this matter settled down, I was sandwiched between the firm and him, his selfish action to gain money, not justice be done(the original objective). The same time, the senior who's been giving me problems threatened me. Stressful it was.
One less person, now I needed to adapt to the new system which brought an overseer and routine. Things changed and I could not freely do chores. There are pros and cons after the colleague got fired, cuz he wasn't really good worker to begin with. Good part is I didn't have to stress out about his work attitude, his issue becomes my fault, and listen to idiotic things he says. The positive side was we started to become a good team and things started to go smoothly. Now, there is none of this.
October came and I was still tangled in this while finding ways to make stocks for an art market coming up. The colleague started to contact me to get me to work under him. He started his own store. I doubt he could pay the first salary. He still haven't paid me my design fee and consulting fee.
Then, I got a disease that stalled me. The kikuchi's disease.
Financial problems were still dragging one, spent more money of medical fees since the disease, mentally stressed, physically stressed and tired, and the disease kept me a delightful time of suffer.
Things started to get better, but I now have to solve this financial problems and look for a new job if possible, which is another stress. It ain't easy to find one at my age, my position of working pattern, and the history.
So that is what's been going one. I may have to stay at the firm for another year to study for license, save money for the day I quit, and earning time of work experience. But time, is a limited factor to fight.

The plutogang - now

Hey ya, how's it go in'? It's been nine years since I left OH and last time I spoke to any of the members in person. I wonder how everyone is doing these days, and if everybody is linked as the 'plutogang' those time that we were hanging out was very fun. Good times.
I was invited to this beautiful circle back in '08 ( I think it was) and I knew that some of us were updating things on here. Then, it became just jiggabrah.
He's been updating things keeping this blog going. I left off after losing internet connection and picked up sometime last year. During then, jiggabrah kept the place going and stopped by the time I came back-now it's just me. I think everyone is busy.
I don't want this group to disappear so I will do my best to write when I can.
I sometimes think how everyone is doing. I am still in the same places, haven't moved out of the city or the country, having ups and down now and there. I can't believe it's been nine year. I would like to visit OH again.
World, here I am still alive trying to live.

Cheets

Time at Shishin Samurai cafe & diner

Not having much social life, it's been a while since I last went out. I was invited to an event. How I got around this is by ppl I know telling me about it:
A while back the curator of Oike Music Festival, Ito told me there is a intersting place I should visit. The place is located between Nijo castle and Karasuma, a cafe& bar called the Shishin. 
Shishin, having an interesting concept, it is a place for anyone who has high motivation and will to gather and communicate. The cafe&bar functioning as a themed bar and place for tourists to visit it was indeed interesting.
This month, Ito told me there is a event going on and suggested it is a good time for me to visit because there will be a lot of ppl from different genre showing up it'll be good for me to meet new ppl and enhance my art life. That, was Saturday. Ito could not come because of errands (later found out he is not in Kyoto at the time) so I went alone.

There were quite interesting ppl gathered there that evening. An UN worker, former Asashi broadcast producer and social producer, entrepreneurs, university students, and else.
I didn't talk to all of them but had the chance to speak to some of them which I had an interesting time. These university students were full of potential and agression that I didn't have when I was their age. I was amazed by them.

I exchanged contacts with some ppl and had a chance to show my indigo dyed pants and pouch I stitched. However, I had no business card to give or organized samples/portfolio to show so I don't know if ppl got the picture I wanted to tell.

The clock ticked and ppl socializing and drinking without ppl noticing as the night progressed towards the new day. It became quite late I left,later noticed that I left my windbreaker.
I picked up my wind breaker Monday evening and spoke with the owner and employee. They were interested in me, probably because of what I do (dye) and my history.
Well, that's something positive.

Next time, I need to prepare samples of my ethnic paintings/drawings along with the invented calligraphy. Perhaps I can exhibit them there? I would love that! It wouldn't kill the interior of the place but will add a 'spice' to the space.

June, on its way

I cants believe that it's been five month since January, and today is the last day of May.
A lot of things were squeezed in this month, mainly going back and forth between Kameoka and Kyoto. I made a denim bag, fixed the metal fittings on my boots, remodified my militech pouch, and started constructing a cover for my wz.31 helm(ran out of materials before I could finish) on my down time after work.
I finished A wooden sign I started in 2012 this month. I stopped working on the board and picked up after we're I left off last week, having trouble with the board because it was warped and the shape changed a little. Now this is finished, I can do other things, or work on this sign a little more to perfect it.
Anyhow this was my month I was active.
Can't add photos from the tablet I am using so they will be added some other time.

Cheers

Hey gang how y'all doing?
It's been a while since I last posted here on the plutogang so, I will add more photos continuation of my previous blog entry.
My first solo exhibition held in Catez with an karate show as an opening ceremony.