Shiro Oni Studio Artist Residency Program
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 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.
American artist Kjell Hahn founded the residency in 2013. In 12 years the residency has hosted over 250 artists from 30 countries and has been featured in publications such as Vogue magazine, Soto Koto magazine, NHK television and Asahi, Jomo and Yomiuri newspapers. In 2021, he received an award for his international cultural exchange efforts from the governor of Gunma Prefecture.
Residency Program Information
Residency Program Summary
Application Information
Nearly 300 artists have participated in the Shiro Oni Studio artist in residency program. Groups of 8 artists spend 6 weeks in the town of Onishi (population 5000). Full-time artists, grad students, and university professors come to focus on their work in an intimate environment, work with other artists, and to build relationships with the people of Onishi.
Residency Requirements:
Age 25 and older
Speak English or Japanese
Ride a bicycle
Attend meetings
Participate in residency exhibition
Donate a piece of art to the residency (chosen by artist)
In 2026 there is a participation fee of $2,750 USD* (*paid as 400,000 Japanese Yen)
Shiro Oni Studio Covers: a private bedroom and all building utilities, 24/7 access to a private studio space and our woodshop and ceramic facilities, residency arrival and departure transportation, translation support, bicycles, and flyer printing expenses.
Artists Cover: Travel expenses, food costs, and workshop fees.
Artwork materials: artists are responsible for their own materials. There is a storage room of free artist materials left from previous artists. The storage room has things like paper, fabric, ink, tape and paint. It’s also possible to source natural materials like bamboo from the surrounding mountains, or wood from lumber mills’ off-cuts.
Accessibility
Housing & Accomodation
Studio & Facilities
The Shiro Oni Art Center Workspace holds 9 individual artist studios, a woodshop, and our ceramic facilities. Each artist’s studio is unique, using repurposed wood and materials from Kanezawa Park.
Our ceramic facilities house 5 electric throwing wheels, over a dozen banding wheels, a clay and glaze room, large communal work tables, and two kerosene kilns. The Workspace also functions as a community workshop area where we hold various art-making classes such as ceramics, figure drawing, and hand-built crafts.
Our woodshop features a range of equipment, including a variety of hand and electric tools such as a table saw, miter saws, sanders, a lathe, drills, etc.
Artists have 24/7 access to the Shiro Oni Workspace facilities.