Before & After
Date/Time:Daily from Mon., October 19 until Fri., November 13
Price: free
EXPRESS YOURSELF
From ordinary item to one-of-a-kind rarity
BY ARACELI CRUZ
If you think that, say, a teapot or an Ikea shopping bag have only one purpose, Before & After, the new exhibition at the craft-loving Gallery Hanahou, says, Not so fast! Indeed, with a little bit of love and creativity, even the most mundane object can be transformed into the cutest, most adorable plush creature—well, the teapot not so plush, but exquisite nonetheless. The show features amazing work by the Japanese collective Ossu! Shugeibu, which translates to "Yo! Crafting Club." The guerrilla crafting crew—founded by Shoichi Ishizawa and made up of mostly males (oh, yeah!)—shows off their sweet artwork made from everyday materials: For instance, an umbrella is transformed into a bird. And that Ikea bag? Now a cute puppy. It may just inspire you to think twice before throwing away that lone sock.