The painter OKADA, Gaudois by adoption and Heritage Days
A beautiful story of essential human values: the opening on the world, the welcome(reception), the mutual aid, the integration, and the division(sharing).
The painter Okada Minoru was a Japanese painter, exiled in Paris and which lived in Montmartre and Montparnasse. He(it) will follow Soutine in Cagnes sur Mer and will get married in 1928 to a Danish blonde(lager), Ingeborg Sevaldsen, a sister of Eline Eriksen there, the model of the " Siren of Copenhagen ". A first son is born in 1929 Taibi " Erick " Okada. Then, just like Soutine, Okada will come to Gaude, he will settle in it durably. His(her) second son, Masumi Okada, will be born there on September 22nd, 1935. All the Okada family will return in Japan in the statement(declaration) of the second Japanese Sino war and Minoru will stop(arrest) the paint(painting).
Poor man(woman) as all the painters, he(it) will have left with Gaude and Cagnes a large number of watercolors that he(it) offered in recognition of services provided by families for the meals, the baby cloth, the transport...
Both sons(threads) will become famous in Japan. The older brother, Taibi " Erick " Okada, was an actor and a known presenter professionally under the name of HEY Eric, he was the master of ceremonies for Beatles ' on 1966 concert in Tokyo. Called sometimes Japanese Zitrone.
The most famous are both Masumi Okada (died in 2006) who was a professional actor, a singer, a humorist, and a producer of movies. So known by his nickname, "Fanfan", he lived in Gaude, in district Pagane in the house Simond.
Nicknamed the Japanese James Dean, he(it) returns to Nice and Gaude 1961avec her mother, is received by Jean Médecin who puts back to(hands) him(her) the medal of the city of Nice. Nice Matin dedicates it a whole page.
During Heritage Days this painter will be put in the honor and already, the gaudois and some cagnois found in their attic of the works of Okada which will be revealed during ' an exhibition(exposure) gathering(collecting) memories(souvenirs) and works of the painter during Heritage Days. A conference will allow each to know better the history(story) of our municipality.
Alex Benvenuto
Appeal to memories
You possess a work of this painter of The Gaude or Cagnes, or still family photos?
そして、
このあとに地元の新聞記者さんの連絡先が入り、
祖父の絵画や写真を持っているならば連絡先はこちらです…と記事は終わっています。
地球の向こう側で、
こんな私達家族のために尽力してくださっている地元の方々…。
なんて温かいんだろうと思います。
そして、
戦後70年のこの時期に、
この様な素晴らしい企画がフランスで開催されることは、
フランス国民の文化教養度の高さをあらためて認識します。
フランスの「文化遺産」に対する熱意に脱帽し、
なんだかジーンと反省しちゃいました。