Encounter One-of-a-Kind Art Created with Unique Methods! 'UMUNI Gallery Project in PERTiCA' Starting May 1st

NPO Corporation UBUNTU (Headquarters: Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture; Chairperson: Ayako Arai), through its art brand UMUNI, will host the 'UMUNI Gallery Project in PERTiCA' from Friday, May 1, to Sunday, May 31, 2026, at the Tohoku Kakekomidera Space Gallery 'PERTiCA'. The art on display is created by 'Abekobe Creators,' making this an exhibition of truly one-of-a-kind original paintings. What is an 'Abekobe Creator'? NPO UBUNTU has previously organized events such as 'Abekobe Marche' and 'Abekobe WORK.' The term 'Abekobe' (meaning upside-down or reversed) refers to taking the world's 'normal'—the image that non-disabled adults are the ones who create and work—and turning it on its head. It signifies a state where age, category, disability status, and nationality are all viewed from a 'reversed' perspective or where all 'walls' have been removed. We position 'Abekobe Creators' and 'Abekobe Shop Staff' as the central figures driving this transformation. History of 'Abekobe' Our vision is to create 'A city where everyone can be their own life designer.' We believe that even those with severe physical and intellectual disabilities or those requiring medical care can certainly influence others and provide value. To practice this, we established three pillars under our 'Work Design Project': 1. Abekobe Marche 2. Abekobe Work 3. JOB-DESIGN Project (A support project for sole proprietors utilizing the Sendai City Employment Support Special Project for the Severely Disabled, etc.) In 'Abekobe Marche,' many shops gather in one place, with Abekobe staff handling sales and customer service. In 'Abekobe Work,' staff are dispatched to local neighborhood shops. While Marche events are lively, they tend to be one-off. On the other hand, 'Abekobe Work' places staff in familiar local shops, offering more natural encounters in daily life. The 'JOB-DESIGN Project' collaborates with local organizations and companies to extract corporate challenges and create new business models. It acts as a hub to maximize the individual strengths of people with disabilities and connect them to work. Specifically, it identifies the needs and challenges of various companies and matches them with the preferences and talents of those with severe disabilities. It 'DESIGNS' (designing concepts and mechanisms for problem-solving) 'JOBS' (work and desired progress). This aims for a synergistic relationship rather than just cost benefits. Individuals with severe disabilities often take on this work as sole proprietors, and we provide care and support so they can work from shared offices or on-site at companies. Introduction of Abekobe Creators (Excerpt) Here are some of our creators who possess diverse methods of expression: POTE (Abekobe Creator, High School Student) A creator who loves music and going outside. POTE especially enjoys tactile sensations, mixing paints by hand or coloring by rolling art supplies and paints inside boxes. POTE also uses tools like rubber tubes for expression and chooses painting locations like parks or gardens based on the day's mood. RIKOPIN (Abekobe Creator) A creator who loves food, fashion, and can be a bit moody. Due to contractures in the hands, gripping a brush is difficult. After consultation, RIKOPIN now expresses freely by attaching a brush to the head. RIKOPIN can also paint by fixing a brush to the back of the hand and moving the arm laterally, changing methods according to mood. Favorite color is pink. KIRA (Abekobe Creator, Middle School Student) A creator with a wonderful big smile who loves people. Although the range of hand movement is limited, KIRA creates art by extending hands forward and backward and using fingers precisely. Utilizing the ability to follow people with eyes, KIRA also expresses by changing head angles to manipulate pens or brushes attached to the head.