Paintings drawn by a 21-year-old woman with Down syndrome are enjoying widespread popularity in Japan, as shown by the online sale of baked sweets boxed with postcards of her colorful works.
The paintings depicted on the postcards were made by Riko Ogata of Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. These works portray such things as ayu sweetfish swimming in the Tamagawa river and hanamizuki flowering dogwood. Ogata started to paint while in primary school.
In recent years, she has widened the range of her activities and has even had exhibitions of her works.
"I'd be glad if my daughter's attempt to interact with society serves as a source of encouragement for many people," said Ogata's 56-year-old mother, Masako.
Ogata started to paint after her mother took her to a drawing class in the neighborhood. Her mother had been taking painting lessons there, and at the advice of the instructor in the drawing class, Ogata started submitting works to exhibitions while in middle school.
It is difficult for Ogata to communicate her feelings to others. Still, her mother realised her attitude toward painting became even more positive after she started submitting her works to exhibitions.
"I guess she has realized there are opportunities for her to express herself in society, while also learning the joy of having her works viewed by many people," Masako said.
Ogata continues to submit her paintings to exhibitions. She has recently been given solo exhibitions in Tokyo through introductions by people who have viewed her works.
Her representative work has a donkey painted in various colors and cute bears painted all over a wall. Many of Ogata's paintings are characterized by the use of bright colors and depictions of smiling animals or people.
Ogata's paintings fascinated Ayumu Isomura, 48, who runs Gradie Corp., a design company in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo.