[INTERVIEW] How 'Senior Market' turns waste pickers into elderly artists

A senior artist at "Senior Market" draws a design for a stationery item that will be sold. Courtesy of Senior Market

Stationery items made by elderly gain popularity among young people

By Dong Sun-hwa

Shim Hyun-bo, 31, grew up watching his grandmother collecting waste paper and cardboard. As both of his parents had full-time jobs, the young Shim spent most of his time at his grandmother's house, which was located nearby his home in Gangdong District in southeastern Seoul.

One day, he saw a waste paper pile in the corner of her house and asked her why she was collecting it. He knew she wouldn't be doing it for money because her four sons regularly gave her enough to make a living. Her response was simple: she needed a way to kill time.

Shim Hyun-bo, the founder of Arip&Werip / Courtesy of Shim Hyun-bo

Shim did not want her to keep doing this physically strenuous and low-paying work, which was often viewed negatively by people. He said he was sometimes embarrassed by her.

However, Shim's grandmother was not the only one picking up waste. A lot of her friends ― including those who were in desperate need of money ― were also involved in this job and Shim could not turn a blind eye to them. So in 2017, he established his own company Arip&Werip in a bid to promote financial independence for elderly people and provide them with more opportunities to socialize and pursue their personal growth.

The company owns the brand, Senior Market, which sells unique stationery items and other goods designed by the elderly, who used to work as waste pickers. Their handmade calendars, wallets and paper-based tape look quite raw at first glance, but they are a hit with people in their 20s and 30s. The recent sales growth is a clear testament to their popularity. According to Shim, the sales in August jumped 20 times compared to the average monthly sales this year.

The popularity of the retro trend among young people seems to have a spillover effect but Shim believes there are more crucial reasons behind the success of Senior Market.

Three elderly artists show their stationery items designs. Courtesy of Senior Market

"The greatest strength of our products is that they connect the older and the younger generations, with our seniors sharing messages of hope and comfort through their creations," Shim told The Korea Times during a Zoom interview, Sept. 6. "Stickers and tape with their handwritten messages like, 'Eat well,' 'Don't worry too much' and 'Pay attention to what you are doing right now' are very popular among our customers. These messages of encouragement are the replies that they sent to people in their 20s and 30s, who were seeking life advice in our online program titled, 'Senior Counseling Center.'"

Shim explained the older and the younger generations have had negative perceptions of each other for a long time.

"Many young people used to think seniors are old-school and selfish, while the elderly thought younger people were disrespectful and even violent because they hardly had any chances to interact closely with each other," he said. "We hope Senior Market can break down the walls dividing them and narrow the generation gap by connecting them through everyday items and various activities."

The calendars designed by senior artists at "Senior Market" / Courtesy of Senior Market

Shim's other ambitious goal is to provide safer and more stable jobs for seniors.

"They cannot make ends meet by collecting waste paper," he stressed. "And even if we donate money to support them, this cannot help them stand on their own feet. This is why I pondered different ways to provide them with more stable jobs. I first visited a community center in Seoul that had a database of all the elderly in the region and decided to form a community with some of them. As many of them were living alone and were depressed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I thought I had to bring them together first. Then, I led them to the world of art and design, which is open to anyone. In the beginning, I worked with five to six seniors who hardly receive any financial support from the government, but now, we have 16 workers at Senior Market, and one of them is a permanent employee."

The wallets and key rings designed by senior artists at "Senior Market" / Courtesy of Senior Market

According to Shim, the elderly artists at Senior Market can gain money from royalties for their creations or by packing the products.

"To give them more stable jobs, we also pay them for handling machines, such as with sewing," he said. "Seniors who work with machines often earn more money than those who pack our goods."

Transforming into an artist has marked a turning point in their lives, too.

"Many of them are saying they have become more enlivened thanks to Senior Market," Shim said. "One of them told me that his life, which was dull and boring, has become more interesting after he joined Senior Market. He said that in the past, he had nothing else to do except watch TV. Witnessing such a change is very rewarding."

Shim did meet with some stumbling blocks when he first embarked on his project. One of the most demanding things was to give confidence to seniors, who were afraid of becoming creators.

"Most of our seniors had not been involved in creative activities ― like designing ― for six to seven decades, so when I first offered them the chance to create their own artistic work, they were reluctant because they did not believe they could make things yet alone profit from their work," he revealed. "They were actually afraid of doing something creative, unlike young people these days. They frequently told me their drawings looked bad and useless, so persuading them to join our brand was quite challenging. But after seeing the final products and positive reactions from different people, they gradually became more willing to draw and paint, crafting their own artistic world."

An elderly artist at "Senior Market" plays a card game with young people. Courtesy of Senior Market

Shim's ultimate goal is to make Arip&Werip a company that promotes intergenerational harmony.

"We are currently made up of three young people and one older member, but we want to attract more people to our company," he said. "I hope more seniors get involved in the creative process, with young people marketing their creations. Moreover, I will strive to create more jobs for more elderly people, not just for those collecting roadside waste."