NEYAGAWA, Osaka Prefecture–Toshio Katsuma, a painter, was devastated when he misplaced the flexibility to make use of his dominant left hand as a consequence of a sudden sickness 11 years in the past.
He may now not draw. It was a crushing blow, and he nearly misplaced the desire to dwell.
However seven years later, the artist fulfilled his longtime dream of internet hosting a solo exhibition because of exhausting work, and the assistance of a pc and a good friend’s pet cat.
Katsuma, 70, had at all times been expert at drawing since childhood.
When he was a junior highschool pupil, his sci-fi comedian turned standard amongst his classmates, incomes him the moniker of “Manga.”
He determined to pursue a profession in drawing after commencement, transferring on to review at a vocational college for portray as an alternative of a highschool.
Katsuma made his skilled debut as a manga artist at age 18 when his first work was printed within the Weekly Shonen Journal comedian anthology, which additionally ran the wildly standard serialized titles “The Star of the Giants” and “Ashita no Joe” (Tomorrow’s Joe).
Sadly, none of his manga works gained recognition and his manga profession ended after about three years.
Nonetheless, he relied on his portray abilities to outlive, working as an teacher at a vocational college and offering illustrations for commercials and different companies.
In December 2010, he felt his arms start to shake. He collapsed at his dwelling in Osaka after working with no sleep to complete a drawing.
He had suffered a stroke.
When Katsuma got here to, he felt numb alongside the left facet of his physique and couldn’t maintain a paint brush along with his dominant hand.
He was 59 on the time.
His physician informed him he wouldn’t be capable of work once more as a painter.
However Katsuma refused to surrender.
Pondering that he may be capable of draw utilizing a private pc, he moved the mouse along with his proper hand and drew an image. He stored at it though he wasn’t glad with the result.
Two years later, a good friend requested Katsuma to attract an image of her pet cat. It made him glad to see that she was delighted with the portrait he created on his pc.
He posted the drawing on his Fb web page, and it immediately attracted a whole bunch of likes and made him really feel assured in his abilities.
Since then, Katsuma has posted his drawings on-line each day.
His fashions are invariably stray cats. Having misplaced an necessary a part of himself, he recognized with them as a result of they wander across the streets with out being observed by anybody.
His drawings attracted the eye of an artwork seller, who helped Katsuma manage a solo exhibition at a division retailer in Saitama Prefecture in September 2017. It was his first expertise exhibiting his works in a gallery.
Some guests shed tears as they remembered their lifeless pets.
“I at all times wished to attract photos that may be remembered as a result of I had drawn nothing however manga and different drawings that may be thrown away after a short time,” Katsuma stated.
It felt like a brand new path was opening up in entrance of him, he stated.
He has since hosted solo exhibitions at shops and bookstores in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Osaka and elsewhere throughout the nation.
Two years in the past, when Katsuma held a paint brush along with his proper hand, he was pleasantly shocked to seek out that he may draw nearly as good with it as he as soon as may along with his dominant hand.
Throughout a solo exhibition held in January at a division retailer in Osaka’s Minami district, Katsuma drew an acrylic portray of a cat with a paint brush for a dwell occasion.
“I wish to maintain solo exhibitions solely utilizing my hand-drawn work in future years,” Katsuma stated.
He stated he’s now decided to surpass the talent stage he was at earlier than he turned sick.
