Abandoned by family, elderly Chinese man turns to nude modelling
‘I found my own happiness,’ says 89-year-old whose wife died over 20 years ago and children are estranged
Left alone after his wife’s death over 20 years ago, an elderly Chinese man has found an unusual way to pass his time.
Twice a week, Wang Suzhong goes to universities and art studios in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China’s Sichuan province, takes off all his clothes and poses in front of a camera: the 89-year-old is a nude model.
“My body shape is quite good for a senior citizen,” he told the South China Morning Post. The retired tailor said that he has fun with what he calls “body arts”.
Since his wife died in 1997, Wang has lived alone in a small flat in Chengdu, spending his time cooking for himself and washing his clothes.
His children are estranged. “None of them treat me like I’m their father,” he said. “I don’t care if they don’t understand me now. They will have their turn to feel lonely when they are old.”
When the Post asked Wang if his children ever come to eat with him, he said: “No, never … it’s better if you don’t mention my children.”
Wang isn’t worried about any of the negative connotations nude modelling may have. On the contrary, he finds that it provides respite from the loneliness he feels.
“What I do is just body arts. I don’t feel shameful about it,” he explained. “It makes me feel less lonely, and it helps me financially.”
Unfurling a drawing made of his naked body, he said: “Being a model for body arts made me forget all my sadness and worries. I found my own happiness.”
