In June 2024, we partnered with our studio mates Temple Market Bathhouse to celebrate the opening of our new studio by hosting a three-day Open Studio, with talks, critiques, and demos that explored the idea of opening our work up to others before it’s “finished”.
While we’ve organized countless meet-ups and parties over the years, this was the most ambitious event ever. It seems fitting to do it in early 2024 – after crawling out of the pandemic cave, we’d rebuilt the ways in which our team gathers in person, and now, we yearned to be in community again.
Draft reading from the forthcoming collection of essays From A to Q, threading together learnings from 20 years of building a vibrant studio practice.
Members of AQ will present the concept and design of our space in Yamanashi Prefecture, and host a discussion about the concept of “pop-up kyoten” (base).
Meet the Sankaku editorial team for a sneak peek into Volume 3 and open call for contributors
Participate in a design critique led by Ian Lynam and learn how to hold and lead constructive sessions. Help other designers improve their work or bring your WIP for critique.
Join the TMBH team for a demo and listening session of their new prototype, typhoon city inspired speaker stool.
Take part in a casual writing session where we’ll respond to two prompts, discuss inspiration and roadblocks, and just enjoy the process of getting ideas down on paper. Whether you are journaling for yourself, working on fiction or nonfiction prose, or writing for a business context, this session can serve as a starting point. Please bring pens and paper!
Nuevo Studio founder and director Alvaro Arregui Falcon will share his motivations and learnings from publishing work in progress self-initiated design projects, and lead a discussion of the joys and complexities of designing in the open.
A trio of tea ceremony enthusiasts from three different schools, host you for tea and sweets in a two-mat tea room set up in the corner of the studio. Join us to learn the traditional forms and play with new ones.
Unwind your mind through abstract drawing while sipping on cocktails mixed by Alvin Cheung from TMBH. Still life objects arranged by art director Agnes Nata. Sip and Sketch is a place of honing your senses, exploring your intuition and most importantly play. Bring your own sketchbook and choice of medium if you like. Paper, acrylic paint, markers provided.
Space design - Shibuya Minto (toolbox and Agnes Nata with AQ)
Opening party food - Freeman Shokudo
Photography - Lisa Woite, Sugai Toshiyuki, Alex Albian
Cocktails - Alvin Cheung
Sankaku session - Sankaku magazine
Design Critique - Ian Lynam
Listening Session - Temple Market Bathhouse
Writing workshop - Carina Fushimi and Mike Fu
Designing in the Open - Alvaro Falcon (Nuevo Studio)
Sip and Sketch - Agnes Nata
From A to Q - Chris, Eiko and Tomomi (AQ)
Yatsugatake House - Amelie, Yumi, Chris & Eiko (AQ)
Tea Gathering - Tea Ladies
If you want to know about any future events or projects borne out of Open Studio, please stay subscribed to Events with AQ on Doorkeeper.
