Report: Barehands Residency in Bandung 2025

Sep 18, 2025
3 min read

Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Exhibition “Re-aksi”

From August 15 to September 15, 2025, I participated in the artist-in-residence program Barehands Residency in Bandung, Indonesia. I was hosted by the Bandung Institute of Technology (Institut Teknologi Bandung, ITB), where I also held an exhibition at the university gallery.

The Impact of Bandung

During my stay, I was immediately struck by the contradictions of the city. The scattered garbage and imbalanced urban landscape sharply contrasted with my upbringing in the clean environment of Fukuoka and Japan’s mountain regions. At the same time, the overwhelming beauty and mystery of nature—Mount Papandayan, the Stone Garden Citatah, and Kawah Putih—presented a stark counterbalance. Confronted with these two extremes, I was reminded of how profoundly human beings are shaped by their environment.

From Landscape to Iron Lines

These impressions directly shaped my creative process. I began by researching the local landscape and producing spontaneous sketches. The energy and distortions of these drawings were then translated into iron: bending and welding rods with acetylene flames to create lines in space.

The resulting work, Stone Garden, is an attempt to give form to intangible sensations—light, air, and scent—experienced in nature. By drawing with iron in space, I sought to explore landscapes that emerge in the interplay of necessity and contingency, an expression made possible precisely in Bandung, where city and nature intersect so vividly.

Workshop with Students

During the residency, I also conducted a workshop as part of a class at ITB. The theme was “Basics of Metalwork”, where I demonstrated bending and welding iron rods using acetylene flames. For many students, it was their first time handling such tools and fire, yet they eagerly engaged with the process and completed small works within a short time. Their enthusiasm reminded me that the energy of making is a universal force, transcending borders and cultures.

Exhibition and Future Directions

The completed works were exhibited at the university gallery within ITB. Although iron is a rigid material, I felt that I was able to bring out the lightness of spontaneous lines and give form to the flow of light and air. Creating in Bandung—where the contrast between city and nature is so vivid—allowed me to more deeply realize the relationship between environment and expression through material.

This residency became more than just an opportunity for production; it was also a chance to deepen my thoughts through encounters with both place and people. I hope to carry this experience into my future practice in Japan and to expand upon the sensibilities I cultivated in Bandung.

The digital catalog of the exhibition can be downloaded from the link below.

CAiRR 2025 present a Group Exhibition

“Re-aksi”

Reflect humanities role in environmental change. Reflecting on the current turbulent political situation in Indonesia. An invitation for the participants to re-examine and explore the environmental conditions from a different perspectives.

8th - 13th September 2025

09.00-17.00

Soemardja Gallery

Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jalan Ganesha No.10, Bandung 40132

Organizer:

Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB)

Supported by:

Area Olah Karya (AOK)

Japan Foundation Jakarta

In partnership with:

Contemporary Artist in Residence and Research

Kyushu University, Faculty of Design