Jul 09, 2018

Abandoned by family, elderly 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.

An 89-year-old man has embarked on an adventurous new career – that many would be too timid to try, even in their younger years.

After his wife died, Wang Suzhong spent most of his time alone in his small flat, passing the time cooking and washing clothes.

When he realised his meagre pension would not be enough to support him, he went out in search of work.

As most of us can imagine, it’s not easy to start a new career when you’re in your 80s.

However, Mr Wang found he could model at nearby college for around 70 Chinese yuan (the equivalent of AU$14) per day.

The fee went up by around 50 per cent – to 100 Chinese yan (AU$20) – for nude modelling.

Full-time nude modelling

And so Mr Wang began searching for meaning and new interests which took him to a new career as a nude model. He now spends eight hours a day modelling – with breaks in between to rest of course.

Sadly, Mr Wang’s children don’t approve of their father’s new job, and he no longer sees them.

“I don’t care if they don’t understand me now,” he told the South China Morning Post.

“They will have their turn to feel lonely when they are old.”

“I just have fun”

Mr Wang lives in Chengdu, a city of 14 million inhabitants in southwest China. Formerly a tailor, he now describes his new career as ‘body arts’.

“I just have fun,” he told the South China Morning Post.

“My body shape is quite good for a senior citizen,” he said.

“I don’t feel shameful about it. It makes me feel less lonely and it helps me financially.

“Being a model for body arts made me forget all my sadness and worries. I found my own happiness.”

Kicking down barriers as he approaches 90

Mr Wang’s story serves as an inspiration to us all.

He has found a balm for his social isolation. Loneliness is growing problem around the world as more and more people live alone. In the 2016 census in Australia, nearly one in four households consisted of only one person, up from one in five households in 1991.

Growing numbers will have to find new ways to connect with others, and though it’s unlikely that many will follow Mr Wang’s route exactly, many will have to move out of their comfort zone to find connectedness.

Mr Wang is also breaking down preconceived ideas about old age and beauty. His modelling career challenging the notion, perhaps more common in the Western world, that only the young can be beautiful and are worthy of artistic representation.

Mr Wang is breaking down barriers as he approaches 90 years old. He has found a new activity that challenges norms – that also provides him with an income and happiness.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

The Aged Care Home For Elderly Cats And Dogs

Regardless of the strength of the bond between a person and their household pet, the realisation that your four-legged friend has grown old can actually come as a surprise.  Traits that were once a hallmark of your pet’s personality regress slowly, and before you know it, the most energetic and inquisitive member of your household... Read More

Holistic Alternatives to Treating Pain in the Elderly

Pain is a very personal process with everyone’s experience of it being different. It is, however, the elderly that often endure the most physical pain and its related conditions. It is estimated that 1 in 3 people older than 65 is living with chronic pain in Australia. Individuals older than 45 were twice as likely to experience... Read More

Daughter’s heart-warming photos of mother living with dementia cast light into the dark

Cheryle St. Onge has been awarded The Bob & Diane Fund grant for her “poetic and touching” photographs of her mother who lived with dementia. The works show us there can be “beauty, humour and love” even when times are “dark and painful”. Read More
Advertisement