Ayana Ishihara – When I Close My Eyes and Ears, I Sense You Clearly
Residency week 13 / 2026
When I Close My Eyes and Ears, I Sense You Clearly by Ayana Ishihara is a participatory sensory exhibition-performance based on the principles of universal design. It focuses on inclusion and the needs of deaf, blind, and deafblind audiences, alongside those of hearing and sighted audiences.
All audience members enter the space as if they were deaf, blind, or deafblind, and are invited on an imaginative inner journey through a variety of sensory artworks.
During the residency, Ayana Ishihara, together with dancers Inger-Reidun Olsen and Mathias Jin Budtz, will explore different approaches to creating bodily experiences that keep the audience’s imagination active while stimulating their senses. We will invite different test audience groups – Danselaboratoriet, Danseteateret, and Teater Eureka – to investigate artistic questions and integrate their needs and perspectives into the process.
About Ayana Ishihara
Ayana Ishihara is a Japanese scenographer, costume designer, and interdisciplinary artist based in Oslo, Norway. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Scenography from the Norwegian Theatre Academy at Østfold University College (2019–2022). Prior to moving to Norway, she studied Japanese Sign Language interpretation and volunteered for over three years assessing universal design (UD) in museums and providing feedback reports to institutions. Her artistic practice explores how principles of universal design can be combined with sensory approaches to create more inclusive artistic experiences. Her work engages not only sight but also other senses—such as touch, scent, and sound expanding how art can be perceived and experienced by diverse audiences.