Artist Residency: Japan
Studio Kura
February 2025

In January 2025 I travelled to Japan to take part in the Studio Kura artist residency alongside Brett Piva in Itoshima, Japan. We shared a loft studio in a rural community by the sea during winter, where I continued my habit of beach combing (between high winds and snowfall) and collected many washed up items to include in small sculptures and as reference for paintings.

Beachside Roadside # 1, 2025, Japanese Acrylic Gouache on Shina board, 163mm x 230mm

Beachside Roadside # 3, 2025, Japanese Acrylic Gouache on Shina board, 163mm x 230mm

Out to Sea and Back, 2025, Japanese acrylic gouache, driftwood, found fishing float, timber spheres

Rakan River Mouth to Hakoshima Shrine, 2025, Japanese acrylic gouache, driftwood, found fishing float, timber blocks

Ikisan Station to Hakata Station, 2025, Japanese acrylic gouache, gloss acrylic, timber object, found plastic object

Ikisan Station to Meinohama Station, 2025, Japanese acrylic gouache, gloss acrylic, timber object, found fishing float

Beachside Roadside # 2, 2025, Japanese Acrylic Gouache on Shina board, 163mm x 230mm

Holly Leonardson working in the loft studio at Studio Kura. Photo Brett Piva.

Super Soaker
Studio Kura Artist Residency exhibition statement

Super Soaker is a collection of works by Holly Leonardson that respond to her first overseas trip, made while undertaking an artist residency in Japan. First landing in Osaka, she followed the overwhelming and deeply inspiring mix of sights, scents and sounds to Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and the quieter area of Itoshima.

Hours of walking, exploring stores, cycling through small neighbourhoods and walking along the beach always drenched her in new experiences. This constant movement through new landscapes led her to incorporate various styles of directional markings such as arrows in her work, to reflect on her own movements as well as the journeys taken by objects found washed up on the beaches close to the Studio Kura residence. Coupled with more abstract marks and bright colours lifted from her surroundings, Holly’s pieces are saturated in material and pattern.