TOKYO ARTIST RESIDENCY 2026
In partnership with Liquitex Acrylics, my preferred paint brand, I've spent three weeks in Tokyo at an artist residency. Hosted by Fusion Art, and hosted by BnA WALL hotel in Nihonbashi.
STUDIO WORK
One of the things I've been interested in during my stay is the way the city utilizes art and design to organize public spaces. Signage requesting cooperation in busy zones often features an illustration that presents gratitude and apology, such as a smiling construction worker cartoon or a cute bear on the mail truck blocking traffic. I think this contrasts greatly with the US, which I feel often has an authoritarian approach, threatening fines or making aggressive demands to those navigating dense areas. I believe this contrasting approach is culturally reflective, and it's interesting to consider the effectiveness of each.
I've put together a couple of paintings that loosely portray these signs and characters as a small collection of works.
MURALS: BnA WALL HOTEL, NIHONBASHI TOKYO
BnA WALL hotel has a large, two-story mural wall that's visible from both the lobby and lounge area as well as the downstairs workspace in a large glass enclosure. Myself and five other artists collaborated on a design, where we each painted a letter of the word FUSION in a shared color palette.
I was also fortunate to paint my own piece as a permanent installation in the heavily-muraled stairwell. Because the space does not get natural light, I was able to use a fluorescent color palette (which would otherwise fade in UV light).
SCENES FROM THE RESIDENCY
During my stay, I was able to attend several workshops covering techniques such as sumi calligraphy, kintsugi ceramic repair, and washi paper making. I also took several guided tours around arts-centric neighborhoods in the city to learn about the community's relationship with art and public art.
BnA WALL hotel is also a very unique space, where every room is designed with a built installation by a Japanese artist. Ranging from sculpture to lighting to paint, the rooms themselves are like sleeping in an art gallery.
