Japanese artist creates dinosaur statues from old toys
Japanese artist creates his own Jurassic World from old toys
He saves toys destined for the trash by turning them into dinosaur models.
Japanese artist and social activist Hiroshi Fuji, 55, recycles old and pre-loved toys of all kinds by turning them into largedinosaur statues.
Mr Fuji, who is from the city of Kagoshima, teaches at the Akita University of Art in north-west Japan.
The material for his "terrible lizards" comes from donations through a toy exchange system run by him.
He set up the toy exchange system in 2000 after he was inspired by his then seven-year-old daughter, and it has been providing him with an abundance of material for his art installations ever since.
Mr Fuji's studio is swamped with donations and he has one room dedicated to the constant influx of toys.
"I have a lot of toys coming in. I even have rag dolls between the walls," he told The New Paper.
"They provide better insulation in winter," he joked.
Mr Fuji's installations focus on the community and the recycling of unwanted materials.
The public can view his installations, titled Toysaurse, at Masak Masak 2016, which is part of the National Heritage Board's annual Children's Season.
BIGGEST DRAW
The biggest draw of Mr Fuji's installations might be the striking blue Tyrannosaurus rex statue.
Standing at 2.3m and made from more than 2,000 toys, the statue towers over the rest of Mr Fuji's creations. It is one of the four dinosaur structures featured.
Mr Fuji took over 3½ months to complete all four structures.
The dinosaurs are not just for show. Visitors are invited to interact with and build on Mr Fuji's artwork by contributing their own toys.
Toysaurse also features recognisable toy characters, such as mini Doraemonsand SpongeBob SquarePants figurines.
Hosting a total of six installations, Masak Masak is open to the public daily at the National Museum of Singapore, from 10am to 6pm until July 31. Admission is free.
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