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.