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In July 2026, artist and ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵalumna Dr Julie Monro-Allison undertook a month-long artist residency in Nara, Japan — Canberra's sister city. Exploring themes of concealment, imagination and Japanese aesthetics, her research journey led in unexpected directions, from weather phenomena and moon cycles to architectural disassembly and papermaking.

Alongside these creative investigations, Julie explored the idea of sister-city kinship: what connections emerge between two places separated by distance, and how cultural exchange can foster new ways of seeing, belonging and understanding.

Part open studio, part research experiment, this work-in-progress event offers a glimpse into the evolving creative process behind the residency. Explore photographs, drawings and artefacts gathered in Nara, hear reflections from the artist, and discover how place, culture and connection can shape artistic practice.

Following the talk, participants are invited to take part in a hands-on postcard design workshop inspired by the residency, creating their own response to the people, places and ideas encountered along the way.