In the autumn of 2014, Naomi Okubo, an active member of the Tokyo art scene, visited Halland and the Art Gallery/Harbour exhibition hall in Varberg. While she stayed in Varberg, she worked in an open studio while her work was displayed in the gallery.
Naomi conducted several workshops for designers and artists and participated as a guest teacher at Kulturskolan in Varberg. During her stay, she also visited Halland Art Museum and Halland’s Cultural History Museum, where she was inspired by the local folk art that, among other things, is found in textiles and home furnishings. Visits were also made to Varbergs Konsthall, Märta Måås-Fjetterström’s studio in Båstad, the Textile Museum in Borås and Borås Art Museum.
Naomi is teases us and plays tricks on our eyes with expressive patterns and shapes. In her paintings, she often returns to her teenage years where she studies relationships and how friends interact. She also ponders on how the world of fashion and body fixation influence and affect people, a tool in terms of power or a constructive force.
This residency took place within the framework of Region Halland cultural residence venture and was carried out in partnership with Art in Halland, Culture in Halland – Crafts, Varberg Town Council and Varberg Artist Association.
