Every Artist in Residence begins differently; some arrive with a clear project in mind, while others use their time at WPÜ to research, experiment, and allow new ideas to emerge. At WPÜ SHINJUKU, artists become part of the hotel’s everyday rhythm. Travelers, local residents, entrepreneurs, and fellow creatives naturally intersect. Conversations, unexpected encounters, and daily life influence the development of their work.

Each artist unfurls differently depending on the artist and their practice.
The first AIR program in May showed how varied these experiences can be, with each artist responding to the same environment in their own way, molded by their memories, observations, and the people they met during their stay.

Ameer (@ameertothe)
Sudanese-American photographer and visual artist. Developed a new body of photographic work exploring identity, symbolism, and constructed image-making through portraiture and fashion-based visual narratives

Annie (@annielovescubes)
French artist and designer working with installation, drawing, and print-based practices. Explored Tokyo’s architectural forms through spatial composition and perspective, creating an immersive installation that translated observation into physical experience.

NARI (@little_funny_face)
Japanese artist working across painting and mixed media, often rooted in personal memory and emotional narrative. During the residency, shifted her focus outward by collecting anonymous song memories shared by hotel guests, transforming them into hand-painted vinyl record covers. What began as individual emotional fragments developed into a shared archive presented during their last week of stay.

Every Artist in Residence concludes their stay with an AIR Showcase, where they share the work developed throughout the residency. These presentations take many forms, including exhibitions, workshops, performances, artist talks, film screenings, and other public programs that invite the community into their creative process.

The AIR Showcase is often not the final chapter of an artist’s time at WPÜ. WPÜ hosts exhibitions, workshops, talks, and community events throughout the year. These create further opportunities for artists to share their work. During the first AIR program in May, all three artists also exhibited at WPÜ’s 3rd Anniversary celebration in Tokyo, connecting their work with a wider community of guests, artists, and local creatives across the city. The next residency will include a similar opportunity during WPÜ’s annual Thanksgiving celebration in Tokyo, a community gathering dedicated to expressing gratitude to the people and communities surrounding WPÜ, where participating artists will present their work together while also showing their individual residency projects. Each residency becomes part of a growing story  by the artists who pass through WPÜ SHINJUKU.

Click to watch a short interview with the artists during their residency at WPÜ:

Applications are now open for our November 2026 Artist in Residence program.
Learn more and apply here:  Artist in Residence