I’m going to Japan
— and I need to stay longer.
I’ve been selected for an art residency at EXPO 2025 through European Commission which is a crazy opportunity. My residency is for 4 weeks and I’m extending my stay to learn more about Japanese culture, crafts and experience the place as much as I can - and I need your support. This opportunity as grand and obvious “yes“ is, it means taking an unpaid leave and covering both my time in Japan and ongoing costs at home. For your support in return I’ll tell you about my travels and experiences, after Japan will share the ‘afterlife’ and for a complete package I’m going to host an embroidery workshop inspired by the residency.
Travel diaries start late August
☆
Travel diaries start late August ☆
Help me seize this opportunity
Read
Meet + Read
Learn + Meet + Read
Your donation supports Studio EM, a Latvian non-profit that fosters contemporary embroidery. Evening of stories and embroidery workshop will happen in October / November.
What’s this residency about?
I’m there for 4 weeks splitting my time between: Tokyo for a week and 3 weeks in Kamakura. I’ll be researching and immersing myself in their version of a microrayon — danchi and will be learning ikebana, but to get the whole story you have to watch this video :)
Why donate?
Fuel my creative growth
During my time I’ll be meeting with so many different people starting from architecture researchers, to crafts people, to EU and Baltic pavilion hosts at the EXPO. I’ll be visiting Japanese danchi - their version of post-war socialist housing, learning ikebana from a skilled craftsman and I can only imagine what else can come along the way.
Help me seize this opportunity
This genuinely feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity - to be in Japan for 6 weeks, to experience the culture, the philosophies regarding life and craft, to research, to exhibit and to just be there. This is my next big thing — but no one has cancelled the ongoing costs at home and unpaid leave doesn’t help either.
Join the experience
In exchange for your support, I’ll be documenting my travels here as a travel diary. After coming back I’ll be hosting an evening of stories about my time in Japan and the ‘afterlife’, and an embroidery workshop inspired by my residency. This is your chance to be my patron :)