
Shiro Oni Studio
Shiro Oni Studio is made of 6 buildings, plus a 2-acre brewery complex, all just a few minutes walking distance from one another. The program introduces the Japanese countryside to artists. Shiro Oni Studio offers private studios, opportunities to work with the surrounding community, workshops, exhibition spaces, comfortable accommodations, and a central location that allows guests to shop and get around town without the need of a car.
1. Individual work: Away from the congested urban life of Japan and surrounded by mountains in the small town of Onishi (ogre stone) in Gunma prefecture, artists can work free from outside distractions. Shiro Oni Studio's first priority is to provide each artist with individual studio space to focus on their work.
2. Exchange of ideas: Shiro Oni Studio was founded with the belief that while artists produce much of their work individually, the development of ideas going into that work benefits from a strong social network. Studios located in the center of town foster a spirit of exchange between artists and also with the surrounding community.
3. Connecting rural Japan to the rest of the world: While most foreigners visit Japan's urban areas, the popularity of those destinations overshadow the larger rural landscape. Visitors staying in the countryside have the opportunity to meet and work with the people living there. The town of Onishi is typical of the larger economic and population aging problems Japan faces. Artists staying at Shiro Oni studio will be bringing diversity and cultural exchange to an area of Japan too often overlooked.
Shrio Oni Studio gives artists an opportunity to collaborate and learn outside the studio. They introduce artists to Japanese rural culture, building personal relationships that benefit both artists and area locals. Workshops are chosen by artists at the beginning of their stay. Residents in the past have participated in tea ceremony, calligraphy, zen meditation and other workshops.
Shiro Oni Studio organizes an exhibition and farewell party at the end of each group's residency. Exhibitions are a chance for residents to summarize their project in Onishi and meet up with friends met during their stay. Artists exhibit their work at the 2-acre, 280 year-old former sake brewery in the middle of town.
There are 4 buildings used as studios, all a few minutes walk from the residency. Artists have 24 hour access to their studios. There is also a wood shop with a table saw, miter saw, lathe, etc. and a ceramics studio with 4 electric wheels.
Residents stay in a 10 bedroom house. The 3-story building overlooks the surrounding mountains and is located just a few minutes walk from restaurants, the residency studios and a 24-hour convenience store. The house has wifi, a living room with a projector, netflix and a 300+ film collection. Shiro Oni Studio will provide a private bedroom, with a Japanese-style futon, a bicycle, English maps, menus and local shop information. Artists are responsible for cleaning their own room and shared spaces.
Shiro Oni Studio art residency is made of 4 buildings a few minutes walking distance from one another in the small town of Onishi in Gunma, Japan (2 hours north of Tokyo, population 6,000).
There is a main community space (Kinuya), public studios (Shiro Oni Studio), a building dedicated for housing (Yamori House), and private studios (Kotoriya).
Town of Onishi in Gunma, Japan (2 hours north of Tokyo, population 5,500).