Onna House in the Hamptons (123 Georgica Road, East Hampton, NY) will open its doors to the public this summer. Onna House is a 1960s modernist home restored by Lisa Perry and founded in 2021 as a space aiming to create visibility and appreciation for the work of women-identifying artists and designers. It will function as an exhibition space to engage and collaborate and as a gathering space for people to discover unique new work, all while being surrounded by nature in a stunning setting.
Lisa Perry has been a long-time advocate of women’s rights and a lover and creator of design in many forms. Onna House in the Hamptons combines her passions under one roof while supporting and fostering the growth of women artists. Inspired by the Japanese sensibilities of the house’s architecture, Perry named the space Onna (own-ah), as an homage to the word ‘woman’ in Japanese.
Today the work at Onna House varies widely, bringing together works by international and U.S. artists and designers, including local artists from the Hamptons.
The inaugural exhibition will highlight the spectacular work by Onna House artist Mitsuko Asakura, alongside the permanent collection. As an artisan in the textile arts of Japan, Asakura moved beyond the craft of dyeing to the art of tapestry weaving. She articulated her artistic vision in her book, Listening to the Thread (1994), which is also the title of her exhibition at Onna House.
She says of her work: “The structure of weaving is comparable to that of pointillism in painting. Colors never really mix together in textile, they keep their distinct colors and fresh transparency under light.”
In addition to showcasing Asakura’s work, Onna House’s studio space will feature Ligia Dias’ paper dress collection, jewelry and mirrors. Dias’ Paper Dress series explores the poster dresses of the 1960s, first made for commercial purposes and ultimately transformed to serve as political propaganda. Using craft and DIY techniques, Dias questions the notion of creation by exploring new ways of making jewelry and objects.
Visits to Onna House are available by appointment. Please visit www.onnahouse.com for more information.
“At Onna House, our focus is on women artists. It’s been a delight to see their touch on textiles, ceramics, weavings, pottery, paper, photography, painting, sculpture and furniture, each has crafted something truly beautiful and often surprising,” Perry said. “A main goal of ours is to foster visibility and help the artists sell their work – highlighting those who have been under-recognized and who we believe deserve to be known and celebrated.”
By Chadd Scott
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