7 Questions with Sabina Vajrača and Hana Ward
Sabina Vajrača and Hana Ward in Hayama, Japan. June 4, 2023.
Dexter Wimberly interviews 2023 Hayama Residency artists Sabina Vajrača and Hana Ward in July 2023.
You both recently spent a month in Japan at the Hayama Artist Residency. Now that you’ve been back home and have had time to reflect on the experience, I wanted to ask you a few questions.
1) What was your typical day like in Hayama?
Sabina Vajrača: I’m an early riser, and usually up by 7a. I’d do my morning routine (tea, breakfast, emails, meditate, get ready) and leave by 10a to go on an adventure / exploration day trip, and back by 10p or so, absolutely exhausted but so so happy.
Hana Ward: My typical day was: wake up, drink lots of water and then head to one of the many coffee shops in Hayama. I typically start my days (no matter where I am) with a trip to a coffee shop where I read, journal, sip coffee and just generally enjoy myself! There were so many places to get coffee in Hayama that were so cute and just so pleasurable to sit in. I had many great moments here, reflecting and reading Your Deepest Intent by Deborah L. Johnson or The Heart of Buddha’s Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh. Then I would go explore something in Hayama, Kamakura, or Tokyo— a park, a museum or gallery, a shrine or temple, or a shop I wanted to check out. Pretty much every day I bought a souvenir to take home. I couldn’t help it! There were so many cute things. And 95% of the time my day ended with me going to the 7-Eleven across the street to get a little treat. 7-Eleven in Japan is not like 7-Eleven in the States, and it quickly became my go-to spot. Especially the Salty Cabbage Dressing that tastes so good on shredded cabbage!
The Great Buddha of Kamakura. Photo Credit: Sabina Vajrača
2) What is your fondest memory of your time during the residency?
Sabina Vajrača: I spent my time during the residency exploring power spots (Japan is full of them!) and seeking inspiration in the off-the-beaten-path locations. I’d single out two places as absolutely life-changing to me. One was Mt Kurama near Kyoto, where I walked the path between the 5 shrines. And the second one was another pilgrimage to shrines, this time in Togakushi. Both of those took me through truly stunning forests, full of phenomenal energy and beauty, and inspired me beyond my wildest expectations.
Hana Ward: There were so many small moments that just filled me with joy: the tiny spoon served with a scoop of green tea ice cream (I don’t even really like ice cream but I love green tea ice cream, so I was in heaven in Japan), the woman who helped me pick loquats from her tree to take home, laughing in the rain at the stoplight with the other school children as we got soaked and our umbrellas were inverted by the wind during the typhoon.
I have a fond memory of my time in Shigaraki as well. The local train dropped me off at a stop that felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. We were up the mountains and I saw no other people. No one else got off at that stop. As the train left and its sound faded, all I could hear was the sound of a creak in the distance. There was a rice field next to me with white cranes basking in the sun. I walked a little path to the main road and literally sang a little Japanese song out loud. It was really fun, I felt like I had the whole world to myself for a moment.
Photo Credit: Hana Ward
3) Did the experience of being in Japan for a month impact how you think about your artistic practice?
Sabina Vajrača: Absolutely! It shifted my focus away from the business side of my industry, in which I was stuck for many years, and allowed me to reconnect with my artist and (finally!) listen to what she wanted. We pretty much did everything *she* asked for the entire month, which often involved stepping way out of my comfort zone and (therefore) growing exponentially. I am much clearer now on what my artistic needs are, and no longer willing to compromise for arbitrary gains.
Shirakawa, Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Photo Credit: Sabina Vajrača
Hana Ward: This residency provided some much needed spaciousness in my life. Having the space to reflect and just be—with no active projects in the works— was rare and special. It feels like this pause gave way to cleanse my work palate, so to speak, to make way for the next iteration of things. It’s helped me embrace change and what’s coming next for me.
4) Did you create any work or develop new ideas during the residency?
Sabina Vajrača: I was abuzz with ideas the entire time I was there, but one nugget, in particular, has been bouncing around in my head constantly. I’m not ready to talk about it yet, as I’m not even sure what form it will take (maybe a film, maybe something else), but I was definitely inspired in a way I’ve never experienced before.
Hana Ward: I think it was more like a refinement of ideas I already had. A clarity, or distillation. I got some great visual inspiration, mostly from the variety of logos I saw, the trees, and various color combinations I came across. I am usually moved by color combinations first when I start a painting, and there were so many good ones in Japan! I tried to take photos and also document them in my journal. I also got A LOT of inspiration for my lunches back in LA. Lots of new ideas on ways to cook little side dishes.
Photo Credit: Hana Ward
5) What was your favorite place to visit in Japan? Was it what you expected?
Sabina Vajrača: In addition to so many of the random shrines, towns, lakes, islands, and cafes I stumbled across in my explorations, all of which became favorites for life, I absolutely loved visiting Enoura Observatory, which was not at all what I expected. When I hear “observatory”, I think it’s a giant telescope pointed at the universe, and, while that’s beautiful, I can see that in LA too, so I wasn’t so keen on going. But then you [Dexter] explained that it wasn’t that at all, so we went, and my mind was blown!
Hana Ward: Naoshima. I didn’t really have any expectations, I sort of went not knowing anything other than that it's an “art island” and that I would probably like that. It was a beautiful adventure. I met people who helped me (guides, really), I rode all over the island on my little rented electric bike, saw artwork that made me feel something, and sat on my hotel room balcony overlooking the ocean. I went down to the beach during sunset (which was a crazy, golden sunset) and put my feet in the water. I even saw a fish jump out of the water! It felt kind of surreal.
There was one night where I came back to the hotel in Naoshima and it was dark as I walked home. It wasn’t super late, but it was already dark, and being a small island there weren't a ton of street lights. There was no one else on the street, and I had this total body realization that I felt very safe. That I’d been feeling very safe since I’d arrived in Japan. “When was the last time I walked like this at night feeling so safe?” I thought to myself. I had the realization that I had never in my life, actually, felt safe walking at night. I looked over at the ocean as I walked and relished the feeling.
Photo Credit: Sabina Vajrača
6) What’s the one tip you would give to someone planning to visit Japan for the first time?
Sabina Vajrača: Learn some basic Japanese! Please, thank you, hello, excuse me, yes, no, and Do you speak English? are a must. And then possibly words for things you’ll want consistently (i.e. tea and water in my case). I went there without having done that, and the first few days were really hard for me since in Hayama it’s rare to come across someone who speaks English. Google Translate is a great tool, but Japan is such an extremely polite society that I felt so rude walking into places and not knowing how to at least greet the person behind the counter. Once I got a grasp on that handful of basics, I was much more comfortable adventuring alone.
Hana Ward: Come ready to share kindness and consideration because it will surely be shared with you.
Photo Credit: Sabina Vajrača
7) Do you have any upcoming projects or exhibitions you can share with us?
Sabina Vajrača: My short film SEVAP/MITZVAH is making its rounds in film festivals at the moment, with two confirmed (in Reno, NV in July, and San Diego, CA in October), and many others TBC. Anyone interested can follow the announcements of the upcoming screenings on the film’s Instagram and Facebook pages @sevap.mitzvah.film. And see the trailer here: https://youtu.be/x2dXEiyOuh4
Hana Ward: I have some painting things that are not official yet so I can’t announce them! But I can share that I am planning to bring back my small-batch ceramic brand Uno+Ichi soon. You can go to www.uno-ichi.com for more information.
Photo Credit: Hana Ward