Glowing Washi — Crafting Lamps from Japanese Paper

Date January 24th, 2026 (Sat)
Time 4:30 PM- 6:30 PM
Location Nieuwe Instituut - Room 1
Duration 120 min.
Fee €95 (includes workshop participation + admission to the MONO JAPAN Fair 2026)
Included in the Workshop A self-made paper lamp, complete with electronics and a socket
Max. participants 12 participants
Ticket sales End on January 22nd (Thu), 11:59 PM

PLEASE NOTE

• Workshop tickets include admission to the MONO JAPAN Fair 2026 (no additional purchase of an entrance ticket is required).
• We warmly invite you to make the most of your visit by exploring the Supernova Hotel and the rest of the Nieuwe Instituut before and/or after the workshop! For details about the fair, visit here.

About this workshop

Discover the beauty of handmade washi—traditional Japanese paper—whose delicate textures reveal their full depth when illuminated.
In this hands-on workshop, the designers of Cream on Chrome guide participants in crafting their own lampshades using original washi sheets. Thanks to its special fibre structure, washi offers ways of modelling that are impossible with regular paper. Using a lamp design template, participants can get creative by matching different washi types and learn how to apply new and traditional methods of refinement. Under professional guidance, every participant will finish a custom-made, functional lamp to brighten up their home.
Along the way, the designers share insights from their collaboration with papermakers in Japan’s Iwami region, reflecting on how this centuries-old craft embodies perspectives for a sustainable, resource-conscious future.
Open to designers, creatives, and anyone curious alike, this workshop invites participants to explore washi’s sensual tactility and timeless design potential.

About Cream on Chrome

Cream on Chrome is a Rotterdam-based design studio, specialising in multi-sensory experiences and storytelling. During a 2019 artist-in-residence, they formed a lasting collaboration with Japanese washi artisans, exploring how the materiality of traditional crafts can inspire new technological aesthetics and interactions.
The ongoing exchange led to the publication of “Washi Futurism”, together with design duo Craft Portrait. This hybrid sample book dives into the craft’s history, ethics, current developments and potential for the future.
Cream on Chrome was awarded the Dutch Design Award and the STRP Award for Creative Technology in 2022.

Cream on Chrome
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Visit here for more information about the MONO JAPAN Fair 2026.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Nieuwe Instituut, 25 Museumpark, Rotterdam, Netherlands

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