Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
Actress / UNICEF Goodwill Ambassado

As a representative of the judges

I was impressed by the children's flexible imaginations, and their national character is revealed through their artwork.
Even though we have never visited those countries, we can imagine what kind of places they are and suchlike through their drawings.

On the other hand, I noticed that some drawings of scenes in countries I have visited are quite different to the reality.
Children who have probably never seen an elephant or many other animals in their drought-stricken lands drew pictures of flocks of birds and plentiful supplies of water in what must be a dreamscape.
The sight of these pictures fills my heart.
I thought this must be their image of paradise. Their precious imagination made a lasting impression on me, especially as there are some children who will never be able to share such a dream.

I was particularly moved that some children drew joyous pictures despite living in former war zones that are still studded with landmines, rather than depicting their doubtless harsh and dangerous experiences.
I was delighted to reconfirm that children are naturally positive, and inherently have a strong desire to live.

Some time ago, I visited an orphanage in Bosnia Herzegovina. At the time, the children in the home only used black paints. Even though I suggested using red, all of them chose to use black when they painted their pictures.
When I looked at the pictures drawn by children from that area now, I thought that the region must have recovered significantly, as their illustrations are much more colorful than before.

I found a simple pleasure in looking at all these pictures drawn by children from so many different regions, and it was interesting to discover animals and insects in places I never imagined.