The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 48 No 3 November 2009
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Aedan working on a large hand-built piece<br />
New Friends, Art and<br />
Adventure<br />
Aedan Harris reports on his residency in Japan<br />
Finding the opportunity to engage with artists from different parts <strong>of</strong> the world has always excited<br />
me and when I was invited by the Japan Foundation to take part in a residency in Japan under the<br />
Invitation Program for Artists and Designers, a part <strong>of</strong> the Japan-East Asia Network <strong>of</strong> Exchange for<br />
Students and Youths (JENESYS Program), I could hardly believe my good fortune. Every year this program<br />
aims to invite twenty young and emerging artists, designers, writers and curators from thirteen Asia<br />
Pacific countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar,<br />
Cambodia, India, Australia and New Zealand) to participate as artists-in-residence in art centres across<br />
Japan .<br />
From the end <strong>of</strong> July to the middle <strong>of</strong> October 2008, I, along with five other ceramic artists, was<br />
invited to participate in a three-month residency program hosted by the Institute <strong>of</strong> Ceramic Studies<br />
(lCS) within the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park (SCCP). <strong>The</strong>y were Antra Sinha from India, Em<br />
Vannouen from Cambodia, Souvanhtho Khamphixay and Somsaveng Khounpasirth from Laos and<br />
Nurdian Ichsan from Indonesia.<br />
Meeting with these artists in such an environment, where we could work together and share ideas,<br />
our culture, food, and passion for clay, was incredible. I truly felt a part <strong>of</strong> a global community <strong>of</strong> like-<br />
<strong>48</strong> THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS NOVEMBER <strong>2009</strong>
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