In Japan, in the prefecture of Niigata, farmers have thought of a new way to use the straw left over from their crops. It is a real festival that sees the Japanese fields literally invaded by rice straw dinosaurs.
In Japan, in the prefecture of Niigata, farmers have thought of a new way to use the straw left over from their crops. It is a real festival that sees the Japanese fields literally invaded by straw dinosaurs of rice.
Every year on August 31, local artists build elaborate straw sculptures using wooden structures. Viewers have the opportunity to admire these creations and interact with them.
This year the theme of the festival was dedicated to dinosaurs. Amy Goda, a local artist, has gained fame in recent days thanks to her sculptures in the shape of giant dinosaurs. The sculptures will remain at the Niigata Park until the beginning of November, when visitors can visit the exhibition.
On the occasion of the art festival of Wara every year artists, students and volunteers celebrate the end of the rice harvest and work hard to make the straw sculptures that become part of a temporary exhibition.
Niigata is an area of Japan renowned for its delicious rice but it is also the crossroads of a constant flow of tourists and artists. This year the sculptures made include various dinosaurs including a triceratops and a T-Rex, but also a praying mantis and a friendly duck.
In the past, sculptures of gorillas, sumo wrestlers and even yetis have been made on the same occasion. The technique is always the same: starting from a handcrafted wooden structure and composing the sculptures with straw using the same construction technique of thatched roofs.
Marta Albè
Photo font: Wara Art Matsuri
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