The Naughty Boy's Years

The picture book "The Playful Elder's Tree Rings" originated from a two-year (2022-2024) community art project titled "This is the Best Age Ever," conceived and organized by the Soda Port Experimental Workshop Art Association.

The project invited art practitioners from various fields in Macau to engage deeply with the elderly community through diverse artistic content, caring for their physical and mental health, and strengthening their connection to the community. The elderly are treasures to a family, a community, and a society; they can even be described as the spirits of a place. We deeply believe that the elderly, having experienced different stages of life, possess a unique sensibility and pursuit of beauty. Over two years, artist-mentors used art as a guide to rekindle the elders' curiosity and passion for things, and the elders, in turn, shared their rich life experiences, with both parties connecting to the local community culture.

This publication, "The Playful Elder's Tree Rings," aims to present their unique life states, emotions, life experiences, memories, and aesthetics, serving as nourishment for the city's soul. The picture book is a room, a platform for social communication. In "The Playful Elder's Tree Rings," various aspects of the project are integrated to present the diverse facets of the elderly, allowing these stories to dance on the pages and achieve Creative Aging. At the same time, we hope to continue the project's focus on the rights of the elderly and, through intergenerational communication, collectively support a society where we age together and thrive together.

To learn more about the "This is the Best Age Ever - Community Art Project," please visit the project's dedicated webpage and Facebook page.