HeadSpace is an artist’s studio and gallery, sitting atop an intimate shot bar in Nara City at the heart of ancient Japan.
HeadSpace’s mission is to bring artists and writers of a wide range of creative disciplines and cultural backgrounds together for the mutual benefit of all involved. We offer artists the opportunity to create new connections, collaborate in unexpected ways, and become part of our growing artist’s network. Artists can display their artwork at the Studio and on this website, allowing them to disseminate their work to our Japanese and international audience, both here in Japan, and across the world. Being an artist in Japan can be challenging at times. HeadSpace is here to support artists by providing the network, advice, and space needed to realise their goals.
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- The Studio
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- The Studio: Marcus Coates performance
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- The Studio Stairs seen from the bar
The concept for Studio HeadSpace sprung from a friendship and a desire to do things differently. Jamie and Lee decided to renovate the second floor of Lee’s bar, his then living quarters, subsequently making Jamie penniless and Lee homeless. The renovation, designed and built by Jamie and Lee was completed in late 2009.
The Studio is utilised in various ways; as the home of Headfull Productions (Jamie’s design company), as the events space for MR.Q (Lee’s bar), as a gallery and events space for hire, but perhaps most excitingly, as the base for the HeadSpace artist’s residency programme.
Jamie is an artist from the Royal College of Art (London), and Creative Director of Headfull Productions, a design company working in the realms of the web, CG animation, film, and print. Lee is a linguist, musician, artist and bar owner. Both Jamie and Lee live and work in Nara and have been in Japan for 5 and 8 years respectively.
