TALKS & LECTURES
Photo: © kiyomiYui
LOCATION:
NIEUWE INSTITUUT
Free Entry
No booking Needed
As part of our cultural programme, we welcome an inspiring roster of guests from across disciplines to share their knowledge and experiences.
Artisans, designers involved in dynamic Japan–Netherlands collaborations, along with innovators leading cultural initiatives, will offer engaging talks and lectures that open up new perspectives on craft and creativity.
January 24th (Sat)
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Creative Collaboration in the MONO MAKERS PROGRAM: A Mid-Project Report
Time 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Speakers Samira Boon & Erika Kojima / Lena Winterink & Ousuke Kanbayashi -
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How a Museum Supports Manufacturing: The Challenge of KAMEOKA MIZUNOKI CRAFTS
Time 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Speaker Riko Okuyama -
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AKIYA AIR 2025: Immersive Encounters with Art, Craft, and Living Traditions
Time 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Speakers Anne Fehres & Luke Conroy / Gemma Wilson / Shinya Kobayashi / Yuka Nishida -
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Claudy Jongstra & Suzanne Oxenaar: The Artistic Dialogue at LLOVE HOUSE ONOMICHI
Time 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Speakers Claudy Jongstra & Suzanne Oxenaar
January 25th (Sun)
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Weaving a New Future of Craft – East meets West: The collaboration of kiten. kyoto and Kukka in the MONO MAKERS PROGRAM
Time 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Speakers Laura Luchtman (Kukka) & Tsuyoshi Kato (kiten.kyoto) -
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A Contemporary Woodworking Practice Inspired by Ancient Japanese Wooden Joinery: Daan Simons
Time 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Speaker Daan Simons -
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Inspiration talk : Beyond the Bridge A Narrative of Japanese Crafts and Dutch Design
Time 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Speakers Carole Baijings / Yumiko Hoya / Emiko Chujo
January 24th (Sat)
11:30 AM -12:30 PM
Creative Collaboration in the MONO MAKERS PROGRAM: Mid-Project Report
The MONO MAKERS PROGRAM (MMP) is a Dutch-Japanese creative collaboration initiative run by MONO JAPAN in partnership with NN Life Insurance Japan. Launched in 2023, this program facilitates the meeting and collaboration between Japanese manufacturing professionals and Dutch designers through MONO JAPAN's online platform, MONO MAKERS MEET (MMM). As a result of our ongoing collaboration support that began in 2023, we were able to present the outcomes of our efforts as a cultural project connecting Japan and the Netherlands at Expo 2025 Osaka.
Now in its third year, the project features a Grand Prix pairing between Samira Boon, a designer with extensive experience both in Japan and abroad who maintains bases in both countries, and Kojima Orimono, a Kyoto-based company with a nearly 100-year history in producing woven wallpaper and fusuma paper. Since June, the pair has been working together in collaboration.
The Runner-up pair consists of Lena Winterink, a textile designer based in Amsterdam, and SHOBIEN KYOTO, a Kyoto-based maker known for Roketsuzome (wax-resist dyeing) textiles and Noren curtains. Together, they are exploring the creation of products that blend traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.
Join us for a mid-project report, where we will explore the potential outcomes and innovative synergy between the creative pairs Samira Boon and Erika Kojima, and Lena Winterink and Ousuke Kanbayashi, as they approach the completion of their collaboration in March 2026.
Photos by Shinji Otani
Speakers
Samira Boon
Founder and designer of Studio Samira Boon, architect. Born in the Netherlands in 1974. After completing her master’s degree at Delft University of Technology, she spent one and a half years at the Department of Architecture, Tokyo Institute of Technology, as a research fellow of the Japanese Ministry of Education in 2002. She established STUDIO SAMIRA BOON, where she not only creates original products and textiles but also undertakes interior and architecture-related commissions. Her designs are sold in Europe, Japan, Canada, and the United States (including at MoMA, New York).
Erika Kojima
Founded nearly 100 years ago, Kojima Orimono Co., Ltd. uses natural materials such as linen, cotton, and paper yarn to manufacture textile wallpaper and textile sliding door paper through an integrated production system that covers everything from yarn spinning to weaving and finishing. Leveraging the expertise and knowledge we have cultivated over decades; we deliver designs suitable for both domestic and international markets. As manufacturing-capable factories continue to decline globally, we are on a mission to carry on this tradition.
Lena Winterink
Lena Winterink (1994) is a designer and artist based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Her practice is focused on research, concept development and material design. With her work, she delves into themes such as sustainability and social cohesion to shape new perspectives on the relationship we have with the environment and the materials that surround us. This translates into narrative designs, in which textiles play a leading role. In collaboration with crafts(wo)men, creatives, scientists, institutes and industry partners, the designs are implemented to raise awareness and make complex themes literally tangible.
Ousuke Kanbayashi
As the third-generation successor of SHOBIEN KYOTO, Ousuke Kanbayashi drives the company’s mission to elevate Japan’s traditional industries into the realm of cultural luxury on the global stage. Guided by the founding credo of “innovation within tradition,” he explores new forms and expressions of the wax-resist dyeing technique **Roketsuzome**, continually proposing fresh applications for contemporary interiors and fashion.
After apprenticing under his father, second-generation master Hiroyuki Kanbayashi, Osuke took charge of both inbound and outbound international business as well as artist collaborations. He has opened sales channels in the United States, France, Spain, and beyond, and has led cross-cultural projects with French artists.
January 24th (Sat)
1:00 PM -2:00 PM
How a Museum Supports Manufacturing: The Challenge of KAMEOKA MIZUNOKI CRAFTS
The Mizunoki Painting Class, which began in 1964, is said to be a pioneer of what is now widely recognised in Japan as “art by people with disabilities.” Having inherited this legacy, the Mizunoki Museum of Art carries out various initiatives to expand the nearly 20,000 works created in the painting class into activities with broader social impact. One such initiative is “KAMEOKA MIZUNOKI CRAFTS”, a collaborative project with local manufacturing companies in Kameoka, which will be introduced in this lecture.
Photos by MIZUNOKI MUSEUM of ART, KAMEOKA
Riko Okuyama
Curator, Mizunoki Museum of Arts
When her mother became the director of Mizunoki—an organisation supporting people with disabilities that had gained attention for its painting activities—Riko began spending her weekends there from the age of twelve. In 2012, she joined the launch of the Mizunoki Museum of Art and has since been responsible for planning and operations. Her work spans a wide range of activities, including archiving over 20,000 works in the collection, studying Art Brut, and leading art projects with individuals who require social support.
January 24th (Sat)
2:30 PM -3:30 PM
AKIYA AIR 2025: Immersive Encounters with Art, Craft, and Living Traditions
AKIYA AIR, an artist-in-residence programme powered by MONO JAPAN (NL) and MUJUN (JP), continues its mission to transform vacant houses (“akiya”) in Yunotsu, Shimane Prefecture, into vibrant creative spaces. Building on the success of 2024, AKIYA AIR 2025 invites artists to immerse themselves in Japan’s rural culture, collaborate with local craftspeople, and explore sustainable approaches to art, craft, and community revitalisation.
This lecture will be presented by the 2025 resident artists — Anne Fehres & Luke Conroy and Gemma Wilson — together with Shinya Kobayashi, founder and chief designer of MUJUN, and Yuka Nishida, a branding director, social designer, and artist based in Yunotsu.
The session explores the residency as an immersive opportunity for artists to deepen their creative practice through dialogue with local artisans and the Yunotsu community. This year’s lecture also highlights Iwami Kagura, a dynamic traditional performing art rooted in the region. An introduction to Iwami Kagura by Yuka Nishida, presented through images and video, offers insight into how this centuries-old dance form continues to inspire contemporary creation — a living example of cultural continuity.
Together, the speakers reveal how vacant houses can be reimagined as spaces for creativity, collaboration, and renewal.
Photo by MUJUN
AKIYA AIR 2024 has been invited to participate in Bridging Past and Future, a special exhibition at the Dutch Pavilion during Expo 2025 Osaka.
Photo by MUJUN
Photo by Gemma Wilson
Photo by Anne & Luke
Speakers
Anne Fehres and Luke Conroy
Anne Fehres (Netherlands) and Luke Conroy (Australia) are an interdisciplinary artist duo exploring urgent sociocultural issues such as identity, nationalism, climate change, digital culture, and decolonization. Their work unfolds at the intersection of physical and virtual realities, using collage techniques as a conceptual and aesthetic strategy to playfully disrupt, merge, and reframe images, sounds, and narratives drawn from diverse sources, reflecting the fragmented nature of digital culture. Working across photography, video, sound, textiles, virtual reality, and performance, they create multi-layered projects that combine documentary research with speculative storytelling. Their practice embraces contradiction and complexity, using humor and critical insight to invite audiences to reflect on how we perceive, remember, and shape our world within rapidly evolving digital and social landscapes.
Gemma Wilson
Gemma Wilson is a Dutch-English graphic artist whose work often blends geometric forms, mythological motifs, and diverse printmaking techniques. She studied illustration and printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig and Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku, merging European and Japanese printmaking traditions while exploring contemporary possibilities within classic graphic methods. Her expressive artworks have been featured in numerous exhibitions across Germany and Japan, and her work has appeared in publications such as Brandeins, Famous for My Dinner Parties, and the artist book LUBOK 14, which showcases original linocuts by contemporary artists.
Shinya Kobayashi
Shinya Kobayashi is a designer and entrepreneur. He graduated from Osaka University of Arts in 2010 with a degree in Product Design and soon opened Tokitsukaze in Yunotsu Onsen, Shimane Prefecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tokitsukaze, inspired by the Satoyama concept, blends a gallery, retail space, café, snack bar, and sauna, creating a unique community hub.
In 2011, Shinya founded Coelacanth Shokudo, a company dedicated to innovation in design. Its original product brand, MUJUN, debuted in Amsterdam in 2016. In 2018, he launched the MUJUN Workshop, a sustainable initiative aimed at discovering and nurturing successors for local cutlery artisans.
Building on this vision, in April 2020, Shinya founded MUJUN Planet, a village in Yunotsu designed to cultivate skilled craftspeople and enhance self-sufficiency in manufacturing. MUJUN Planet is a space where anyone can learn and embrace the spirit of craftsmanship.
Yuka Nishida
Yuka Nishida is a Branding Director, Social Designer, and Artist based in Yunotsu, Shimane, Japan. After working in Tokyo on cultural tourism projects for national and local governments, she founded Genshosha LLC in 2021 and relocated to the historic hot spring town of Yunotsu in 2022. Soon after moving, she joined a local Iwami Kagura troupe—an ancient ritual performing art of the region—and continues to train and perform as part of the community’s living tradition.
Her work bridges community, tradition, and creativity. She develops branding and communication strategies for local businesses and municipalities, while designing social projects such as a spice curry café “Genshosha.” and the unmanned community library “Honto Araka.” As an artist, Nishida creates works with Sekishu washi paper, natural pigments sourced from soil and minerals, bamboo, and reclaimed wood, exploring time, decay, and place. Through cultural exchange, storytelling, and slow travel, she seeks new ways to sustain rural life without losing its authenticity.
January 24th (Sat)
4:00 PM -5:00 PM
Claudy Jongstra & Suzanne Oxenaar: The Artistic Dialogue at LLOVE HOUSE ONOMICHI
This conversation brings together renowned Dutch textile artist Claudy Jongstra and curator Suzanne Oxenaar to reflect on their recent creative journeys in Japan. Earlier this year, Claudy was invited to participate in the Dutch Pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, and also took part in Jo Nagasaka and Suzanne Oxenaar’s project, LLOVE HOUSE ONOMICHI—a cultural residence and exhibition space that bridges Dutch and Japanese artistic practices.
For Claudy, an artist deeply rooted in natural materials and traditional craft, this encounter marked the realisation of a longstanding wish to engage with Japan’s living heritage of making. Suzanne, whose curatorial work has long fostered exchanges between Japan and the Netherlands, continues to explore how art and place intertwine to shape new forms of collaboration and understanding.
Why does Japan remain a site of return and inspiration for Suzanne? And how did Claudy navigate her dialogue across Japanese culture—its traditions, its communities, and its enduring symbolism?
Together, they share stories of inspiration, challenge, and discovery—an unfolding journey of cultural exchange, material exploration, and artistic resonance.
LLOVE HOUSE ONOMICHI / Photo by Ryo Takatsuka
LLOVE HOUSE ONOMICHI / Photo by Ryo Takatsuka
(Partial) Sens (2025) by Claudy Jongstra,
at LLOVE HOUSE ONOMICHI /
Photo by Claudy Jongstra
Sens (2025) / Photo by D.O.
Speakers
Photo by LLOVE HOUSE ONOMICHI
Claudy Jongstra
Claudy Jongstra is a Dutch textile artist celebrated for her large-scale works that merge traditional craft with ecological innovation.
Since founding Studio Claudy Jongstra in 2001, she has reimagined wool felting and plant-based dyeing, creating installations for major institutions such as MoMA, Lincoln Centre, The Barnes Foundation, and Museum De Lakenhal.
Committed to sustainability, cultural heritage, and mentorship, Jongstra’s projects transform natural materials into striking, site-specific works that resonate globally while honouring ecological and craft traditions. Since 2023, Claudy has co-founded, together with her son Jesk, the LOADS Collection—a 100% traceable and regenerative textile label aimed at creating a positive alternative to the highly polluting conventional textile industry.
Suzanne Oxenaar
Suzanne Oxenaar is a visionary cultural curator and co-founder of Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy, LLove Hotel Tokyo, Hotel The Exchange, and SWEETS Hotel. She led the transformation of the historic Lloyd Hotel into an icon of Dutch design, celebrated for its dynamic and evolving character.
Specialising in art in public space, Suzanne has curated large-scale projects with the Mondriaan Foundation and SKOR, and founded the art residency Het Vijfde Seizoen at the psychiatric hospital Altrecht in Den Dolder, as well as co-founding the art residency at Fukuroda Psychiatric Hospital in Daigo, Japan.
Most recently, she has been collaborating with MAXIVIVE, the fashion label of Papa Oyeyemi.
Together with architect Jo Nagasaka, founder of Schemata Architects, she curates LLOVE HOUSE Onomichi in Hiroshima. Her work bridges art, architecture, and community—fostering cultural exchange and meaningful public engagement.
January 25th (Sun)
11:30 PM -12:30 PM
Weaving a New Future of Craft – East meets West: The collaboration of kiten. kyoto and Kukka in the MONO MAKERS PROGRAM
Takeshi Kato of kiten.kyoto and Dutch textile designer Laura Luchtman participated in the MONO MAKERS PROGRAM (MMP), co-hosted by NN Life Insurance Japan and MONO JAPAN in 2024. They took on the challenge of product development for overseas markets through collaboration. Their cooperation yielded the first loungewear and bags under the “TOZAI” series. This collaboration continued into the artist-in-residence project organised by the EU Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, where they presented the remarkable results of their joint endeavour.
In this talk event, they will share insights about their MMP collaboration, discuss their recent projects at the Osaka Expo, and broadly talk about the future they envision.
Japanese craftsmanship and Dutch design came together through the MMP project, forging a long-term relationship and bringing innovation to tradition. You won’t want to miss their journey of challenge.
The studio production process of kiten. kyoto & Kukka / Photo by Shinji Otani
TOZAI by Kukka in collaboration with kiten.kyoto, lounge gown / Photo by Shinji Otani
Speakers
Laura Luchtman (Kukka)
Laura Luchtman, the textile and surface designer at atelier Kukka, is known for her innovative and colourful designs. She bridges craft and industrial production, creating contemporary designs based on tradition. Having explored Japan and delved into its culture, she has developed a profound admiration for its aesthetics and customs.
Tsuyoshi Kato (kiten.kyoto)
KatouKen Flag Shop, established in 1950, specialises in producing flags, 'noren' (traditional Japanese shop curtains), and similar items, believing that their products become symbols for their customers, carrying both history and hopes for the future. Committed to preserving and nurturing this cultural heritage, the company launched the lifestyle brand kiten.kyoto in October 2023 under the direction of Tsuyoshi Kato, who studied product development and branding at an artisanal studio in Kyoto. Backed by KatouKen Flag Shop's traditional craftsmanship and commitment to stand by those who wish not to compromise, kiten.kyoto proudly continues the KatouKen legacy, offering products that provide a little more convenience with an extra touch of excitement.
January 25th (Sun)
2:30 PM -3:30 PM
A Contemporary Woodworking Practice Inspired by Ancient Japanese Wooden Joinery
In this talk, Daan Simons, founder of Tsugi Woodworks, shares how his fascination with ancient Japanese wooden joinery evolved into a contemporary woodworking practice that unites tradition, philosophy, and design.
After discovering a book of black-and-white photographs depicting intricate Japanese joints, Daan began exploring how these age-old techniques could inform modern craftsmanship. His work is created entirely from solid wood and without glue or screws. Each joint is constructed in such a way that it can move freely with the seasons, as wood contracts in winter and expands in summer. They are metaphors for the ideal relationship - supporting themselves, each other and the whole: bound together in freedom.
The presentation includes a live demonstration of one of his tables, crafted entirely without glue or screws. Audiences will be invited to come up close and witness the technical and aesthetic aspects of this very specific way of woodworking.
Pear Wood Table / Photo by Whitemirror Photography& Cyril Jacobs
Pear Wood Table / Photo by Whitemirror Photography & Cyril Jacobs
Pars pro totem – Series | Tsugi Table Joint / Photo by Coen Dijkstra
Speakers
Daan Simons is a designer and the founder of Tsugi Woodworks, a contemporary-traditional wood workshop based in Amsterdam. Fascinated by the precision and poetry of Japanese joinery, Daan crafts furniture entirely from solid wood, assembled without glue or screws.
Before establishing Tsugi, Daan worked in theatre as a maker and performer. The word Tsugi (継ぎ) means “connection” or “next,” representing both the joint between two pieces of wood and the continuation of craftsmanship through generations. His work attempts to make a bridge between ancient tradition and contemporary design.
January 25th (Sun)
4:00 PM -5:00 PM
Inspiration talk : Beyond the Bridge
– A Narrative of Japanese Crafts and Dutch Design
Since 2021, NN Life Insurance Japan and MONO JAPAN have been promoting a cultural exchange initiative connecting Japan and the Netherlands. Japan’s tradition and craftsmanship, together with the Netherlands’ diverse creativity, have layered and intertwined—through cross-border collaborations, innovation, creation, and meaningful connections have emerged.
For this lecture, we will hold an inspirational talk featuring Carole Baijings, who participated in the project in 2022 and continues to collaborate with Maeda Woodworks, along with Yumiko Hoya from NN Life Insurance Japan and Emiko Chujo from MONO JAPAN. From each distinct perspective, they will unravel the cultural ties and mentalities of Japan and the Netherlands, explore the paths they envision ahead, and share their hopes for the next generation.
Wooden Narratives by Carole Baijings in collaboration with Maeda Woodworks
/ Photo by Shuhei Sakai
Bird, Wooden Narratives by Carole Baijings in collaboration with Maeda Woodworks
Plated by Carole Baijings in collaboration with Maeda Woodworks_Plate platinum grid
Speakers
Carole Baijings
Carole Baijings is a Dutch designer known for her innovative approach to contemporary design, combining bold colour schemes with a mastery of a wide range of materials such as ceramics, glass and textiles. She values an emotional approach to design, where functionality is combined with a colourful aesthetic to enrich everyday life. She is often inspired by nature, geometric patterns and chromatic dynamics to create timeless objects that tell a story. She has collaborated with major brands such as Samsung and IKEA, as well as prestigious institutions such as the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), the Art Institute of Chicago and the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam).
Yumiko Hoya
CSV Initiatives team at NN Life Insurance Company, Ltd., Yumiko Hoya Joined NN Life Insurance Japan in 2021 and has been responsible for Creating Shared Value/ Corporate Social Responsibility activities. In 2021, she launched a European expansion program aimed at successors of traditional industries. From 2023, in collaboration with MONO JAPAN, she initiated the “MONO MAKERS PROGRAM,” where Japanese manufacturers meet overseas creators to collaborate. This program connects Japan and the Netherlands, enabling collaboration between Japanese traditional industry successors and international designers to develop products tailored to local consumer needs and expand overseas sales channels. Through these initiatives, she supports young business leaders who will carry the future of Japan’s traditional industries, aiming to address social challenges faced by local communities and industries, such as successor shortages and depopulation.
Emiko Chujo
Director of MONO JAPAN (Japan Cultural Exchange and Stichting MONO JAPAN). Emiko Chujo moved to Amsterdam in 2000 after working as a designer for an advertising agency in Japan. She continued her career in advertising and travel, organising various cultural events and managing planning and PR in multiple capacities.
In February 2015, Emiko established the Japan Cultural Exchange as a sole proprietorship. With a focus on curating Japanese craftsmanship for a European audience and adequately conveying the background of Japanese manufacturing, she hosted MONO JAPAN the following year. Since 2019, Emiko has successfully managed Japan-Netherlands creative collaboration projects, leading to the establishment of MONO JAPAN Foundation in the Netherlands in November 2019 to ensure continuous operation. Emiko, along with four other board members, continues to focus on cultural projects.