Opening party (with surprise participatory event!): October 14 (Wed) 7 – 9 p.m. rsvp [email protected]

Robogurumi robot dog workshop: October 17 (Sat) 1 – 4 p.m. email [email protected] to sign up

Who needs “practical” items when you can transform them into a quirky character with needle and thread? That’s the question at the heart of the work of Ossu! Shugeibu, the super cool and macho guerilla crafting club from Japan!

Ossu! Shugeibu, translated into English as Yo! Crafting Club, is fueled by a mix of testosterone and pure creativity uninhibited by rules or conventions. Using repurposed materials and freestyle techniques, founder and president Shoichi Ishizawa inspires his myriad club members – men and women who have participated in his workshops – to create surprising craft art without any prior experience in the traditional crafts.

“Before and After” will feature unusual creations handmade by Ishizawa himself, but the guerrilla crafting guru is passionate about recruiting new members to his club and has plans to get everyone involved!

Visitors to the October 14th opening will be encouraged to join in on a participatory handmade “happening,” then Ishizawa will lead a workshop on October 17th in which participants will each make a hand-sewn robotic dog. Come join the Yo! Crafting Club!

Come to the opening party on Wednesday, October 14, 7-9 pm, to meet Shoichi Ishizawa and participate in a surprise group craft project!

Then join us for a workshop led by Ishizawa on Saturday, October 17, 1-4 pm, where you can craft your own walking and talking robogurumi robotic dog. Only $29.99!

RSVP for the opening and sign up for the workshop by emailing [email protected]

For a peek at the project we’ll be making with Ossu! Shugeibu in the 10/17 workshop, check out this video of hand-customized robogurumis from their 2006 show at Gallery le Bain in Tokyo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LyGCKdw9Ds&feature=related

And check out a video of the dogs on the town here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arWd89IwUyk&feature=related

More about Ossu! Shugeibu

Ossu! Shugeibu was founded in 2003 by Shoichi Ishizawa and seven of his male friends, none of whom had any background or skills in crafting. They were interested to find out what inexperienced but creative men could do with traditionally female crafts. The resulting “club” became a fun and inspiring community meeting on a regular basis, and they even decided to let women join too.

Ishizawa and his club members shun rules but live and craft by this philosophy:

- Don’t over-think it - Don’t plan it - Don’t use a pattern - Don’t measure - Don’t use pins - Don’t have perfect stitches - Don’t compare projects

Ossu! Shugeibu share their art-craft projects with the public through guerilla-craft actions! After robogurumi workshops, Ishizawa and his workshop participants have taken their robot dogs out for a walk in the city for a spectacle that surprises and delights those who see it.

The membership of Ossu! Shugeibu has grown exponentially in recent years, with workshops held all over Japan and also in Korea, France, Italy, and the US. Everyone who participates in an Ossu! workshop is automatically a VIP member of this exclusive club!

Accompanying Ishizawa to gallery hanahou this October are Makiko Miyata, his female partner in craft, and several more of the original “core” club members.