About Deshima AIR

The Deshima AIR project is an initiative to promote the cultural exchange between the Netherlands and Japan.

Netherlands and Japan have more than four hundred years of trade relations with each other and have build a special cultural and scientific ties.
During a period of over 200 years until the mid-nineteenth century, the Dutch were the only Westerners who had access to Japan. On the island of Deshima in Nagasaki was a trading post established. Annually, a so-called court journey undertaken to the Shogun in Edo, now Tokyo. Deshima was Japan’s window on the West.
The Deshima AIR project wants this special relationship to continue and where possible expand it.

The Deshima AIR project calls artists and people with a creative and open mind in order to submit a project.
Projects with special attention to the geographical, cultural, historical or social situation of Amsterdam (Netherlands) are preferred. What would you learn from Dutch society and what would you contribute to Dutch society are main topics.

During Deshima AIR project you will stay in the heart of Amsterdam. As a resident you can better experience than a tourist from a hotel or guesthouse the everyday life in the city. In this way, a mutual exchange of Dutch and Japanese culture becomes reality.
The team of Deshima AIR project will guide you in Amsterdam and – where possible – support your project.
Of the participants is a large degree of independence, curiosity and flexibility expected.

a mutual exchange of Dutch and Japanese culture becomes reality

Hitomi Hashimoto

From the 1st of March till the 31st of March, jewelry designer Hitomi Hashimoto will participate in the Deshima AIR program. She will visit Amsterdam to do research on her work, give a workshop about her way of creation and presenting her work in the City of Silver Schoonhoven. During het stay she wants to exchange her expertise and knowledge about jewelry making with the Dutch community. She also wants to research on her series ‘world map accessories’; about how residents of the Netherlands see their neighboring countries compared to the Japanese perspective.

I am interested in reconsidering the unique character of Japanese arts and crafts and the Dutch perspective on Japanese arts and crafts.

The World Map Accessories

Hitomi is a jewelry designer from Tokyo, working with various kinds of metal.
She studied at the Musashino Art University  /  Metalworking speciality of crafts subject  and at the Tokyo National University of fine arts and music: Metal casting speciality of crafts subject.
In 2009 she won the Special Jury’s Award at the 48th Japan Crafts Design Competition and in 2014  she won the Special Jury’s Award at the Aoyama, Tokyo Spiral Independent Creators Festival.
In addition to her profession as a jewelry designer and artist, she is a part-time assistant at Art University in Tokyo.

The program will be organized in collaboration with Rietveld Academy Amsterdam, Vakschool Sieraden Schoonhoven, Atelier Passi, Zilvermuseum Schoonhoven, Atelier Dubbelop.

More about Hitomi Hashimoto
Website

 Instagram  

 Facebook

For Whom

This AIR is open for Japanese artists and other creative people with an open mind.

Projects with special attention to the geographical, cultural, social or historical situation of Amsterdam (Netherlands) are preferred.
Of the participants is a large degree of independence, curiosity and flexibility expected.

What would you learn from Dutch society and what would you contribute to Dutch society are main topics.

Proposals outside this framework, will be discussed about and where possible be supported.

Period of participation
1st January – 31st December 2025

For whom
artists in the broadest sense, people with a creative spirit and open mind

Number of participants
1 – 2 a year

Length of stay
30 days up to 90 days

Deadline of application