Studio Kura is holding exhibitions by three international resident artists this weekend. Free entry! There will also be a closing exhibition party and artist talks on the last day.
Studio Kura is an art institution running two different programs: artist in residence and art teaching for children and adults. Located in the beautiful rural environment of the Itoshima peninsula in Fukuoka Prefecture on the northern shore of the Kyushu island in Japan, Studio Kura’s Artist in Residence Program is an opportunity for domestic and international artists to experience and draw inspiration from the rural environment, as well as for Studio Kura’s thriving local community to meet different artists and their works. During the residency, an artist participates in meetings and, at the end of their stay with other participating artists, is required to hold an exhibition and give an artist talk.
This month’s resident artists visited and experienced traditional Japanese craft workshops and events such as paper making in Yame, Shimenawa (sacred rope) making at a local shrine and Kurume kasuri dyeing in Kurume. They also went to see contemporary bugaku (Japanese court music & dance) combined with the sound of Hakata-ori (woven textile). While artists absorb the art and culture of Kyushu, the practice of their own art are affected and shaped into something new and special.
Leonardo Hidalgo: “Dwelling in Silence”
Leonardo Hidalgo is a designer and textile artist based in Bogotá, Colombia. “Dwelling in Silence” reflects his 8-week stay in the area, where the life of the inhabitants can just be seen at a certain distance in the privacy and intimacy of home. Looking into the territory of Itoshima and the concept of topophilia (the emotional relationship between people and places), Leonardo creates textile works using washi, plastics and weaving by exploring the interior and exterior of Japanese traditional houses.
Cai Jun Lee: “Way of Life”
Cai Jun Lee is a multidisciplinary visual artist who works with sculpture, ceramic, installation, illustration and photography. She lives and works in Singapore. Cai Jun is intrigued by the cultural practices and the ways of living in Itoshima, and she incorporates these with her personal research, showing an installation work on the connection between narratives and cultural anthropology influences.
Eswari Krishnadas: “Smile Silhouettes”
Eswari Krishnadas is a special education teacher and art coordinator in Singapore. With the theme “You smile, I smile”, which proved to be an effective communication tool for her especially during her stay here, she presents installation-based artwork done in collaboration with children at Studio Kura and students from Lee Kong Chian Gardens School in Singapore.
• 12/23 (Sat., hol.), 12/24 (Sun.)
• 11:00~18:00 (12/24: 15:30 closing exhibition party and artist talk)
• Free
• Studio Kura
• 586 Nijomasue, Itoshima, Fukuoka
• https://studiokura.info/en/location/
