Subtlehaus is an independent artist residency in a two-storey Japanese house in a residential neighbourhood of Sakai, Osaka. Naturally lit on all four sides, the house offers live-in accommodation and a dedicated studio for artists, writers and creative workers to slow down and complete a period of self-directed work.
2027 Open Call
Priority is given to LEXPO exhibitors; applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Prices before tax. Completed works and projects are supported through our Japan gallery network, LEXPO solo-show support in Taiwan and REFLECTION features.
Program & guidelines →The House
A whole two-storey house with three rooms, bath and kitchen: kitchen and dining downstairs; an independent studio, a tatami bedroom and a small sunlit balcony upstairs. The studio has a large worktable and a picture rail for painting, working and filming. Occupancy up to three people.
Rooms & facilities →How to Apply
Apply with three preferred date ranges and a 100-word plan; open dates are shown on the application calendar. Accepted artists complete registration, agreement and online payment on the Residency Agreement page.
Apply → Agreement template →Location
Nishi-ku, Sakai, Osaka. About 10 minutes on foot from JR Ōtori Station; Tennoji in 15–20 min, Umeda in 30, Kansai Airport in 45, with easy routes to Kyoto and the Seto Inland Sea.
Location →The Name
Subtlehaus is built from two words. Subtle comes from 惟微, the name of our parent company Subtlety Limited Co., drawn from the Book of Documents: "the heart of the Way is subtle." What matters most is often faint and unassuming, visible only when we grow still. It is also the wei of 微光, a faint light: the first line of morning light through a paper screen. Haus is the German word for home, carrying an old conviction that art, craft and daily life belong under one roof.
Together they name what this house hopes to be: a home named after a faint light, where making happens quietly inside the everyday.
About & Founder →