From June 6 to October 4, 2026, the Vincent van Gogh House presents the exhibition DUET – Netherlands + Japan. This exhibition showcases the results of exchanges with Japan. The museum in Zundert combines works by Dutch and Japanese artists, like a ‘duet’. Inspiration from Van Gogh serves as a guiding principle in this process.
Woodcuts by Utagawa Hiroshige inspired not only Vincent van Gogh but also the painters Lotte Wieringa and Shigeru Hasegawa. They created new work in the guest studio in Zundert. Hasegawa’s canvases are presented alongside a large painting by his fellow student Robert Zandvliet. Emily Bates and Katsumi Omori photographed the cherry blossom (sakura), a motif that prompted Vincent to paint his famous Almond Blossom. The final duet is formed by Fleur van Dodewaard and Ikuhisa Sawada, with photographs of Tokyo incorporated into wall sculptures.
Emmy Bergsma took the story of her ancestor Titia Bergsma as the starting point for a series of works on paper. Titia was the first Western woman the Japanese saw on the island of Deshima. She was frequently depicted in paintings and on various objects.
Special guest is the Japanese artist Takashi Kuribayashi, who will create a ‘site-specific’ work in the garden of the Van Gogh House during a residency. He will be assisted by students and volunteers. His design is a hollow tree lined on the inside with small mirrors.
As part of the accompanying program, an exhibition curated by Find Van Gogh features paintings created by Japanese children inspired by Van Gogh.
From July 10 to August 16, the exhibition expands to Breda, at the StadsGalerij location. Here, work will be shown by young Dutch artists who have worked in Japan at the initiative of the Van Gogh House, and by Japanese artists who have been in residence in Zundert.
On July 10 and 11, a Japan Festival is also being organized in Breda with the aim of drawing attention to the exhibitions, residencies, and a new studio at Teshima. Simultaneously, Filmhuis Botanique is screening a number of Japanese films.
Made possible thanks to: Van Gogh AiR, Cultuurfonds, Mondriaan Fonds, Municipality of Zundert, Municipality of Breda, Province of North Brabant, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Find Van Gogh, Stichting Tranzforma, and Dictus Schilderwerken
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