2015
Mural Project in the Netherlands
2015
Launched in 2015, Over the Wall has been working with people trying to overcome various social problems in places such as poverty-stricken areas in Africa, a conflict zone in Ukraine, and a women’s prison in Ecuador, to create murals that give them encouragement. This time, Over the Wall has planned a project to create a mural using the theme “coexistence” in the Netherlands, a nation formed from diverse ethnic groups, and one of the most historic trading countries in Europe with deep ties to Japan, as it is celebrating 425 years of Japanese-Dutch relations in 2025.
In addition, in 2016, Saga Prefecture, where Kensuke Miyazaki hails from, signed a creative cooperation and exchange agreement with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Japan. Among the many ties, the city of Delft in South Holland province has a unique style of pottery, influenced by Arita ware from Saga Prefecture, which was imported from Japan following porcelain being introduced into the country from China via the Dutch East India Company in the seventeenth century. World-renowned for its blue and white porcelain known as Delft Blue, even today artisans continue on the traditional techniques, demonstrating the city’s strong connection to Saga Prefecture. This time, with thanks to an introduction from Saga Prefecture, we were able to create a mural in Delft.
NOBIS, a mural project in the Buitenhof district, jointly organized by Museum Prinsenhof Delft and the youth support organization CANIDREAM, was undertaken for the fourth time this year – NOBIS 4. Over the Wall collaborated with NOBIS 4 to create a mural. Local artist Laxmi Manuela also created a mural at the same time as Over the Wall. Both works share the theme “Restoring the Balance”, giving expression to shared history, intercultural cooperation, and the power of collective memory and creativity.
This year, Japan and the Netherlands marked its 425th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Their connection dates back 425 years to when the Dutch Republic’s merchant ship De Liefde drifted ashore in Ōita Prefecture. Saga Prefecture, with its Arita ware, had active ties with the country through VOC in the seventeenth century and its use of blue and white dyeing techniques for ceramics became very popular in Europe and are said to have influenced Delftware.
For this time’s mural, I painted a large ceramic jar to show the connection between Saga Prefecture and the city of Delft I featured a Delftware floral motif in the center of a large ceramic jar and underneath depicted a section from the famous Arita ware “large dish with design of Arita Sarayama porcelain workshop” to express this connection going back more than 400 years. The flowers arranged in the jar represent the diverse roots of the people who live in Delft.
In the background, I painted Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa as a symbol of Japan. The sea has long been a connection for Japan and the Netherlands, and, through maritime exchanges, diverse cultures and people have come together, leading to the tolerant Netherlands we know today. The image of sea spray becoming flowers and blanketing the city reflects the people and cultures of diverse regions blossoming here. Moreover, the lower part of the mural features children from the housing complex.
The sun in the upper right corner is the same as in all the previously painted Over the Wall murals, appearing in eight countries across the world. It conveys the message that “people all over the world live under the same sun”.
While we listen to the chirps of the colorful birds flittering around on the balcony, we stuff ourselves with various types of cheese and ham, bought at the nearby Lidl supermarket, sandwiching them between slices of bread in any way we choose. The cool, fresh breeze coming in through the window and the strong morning sunlight, which makes us squint, gives us the sense of a perfect start to the day. Life here in the Netherlands, far from the scorching heat of Japan, is surprisingly comfortable and it is like we could live like this forever. When we go downstairs and out of the building in the public housing complex, there are some elderly people sitting on benches chatting leisurely. We call out
“Goedemorgen! (Good Morning!)
and they raise their hands in reply. We make our way along Chopinlaan onto Haydnlaan, and then Schubertlaan, to get to the mural. All the streets in this housing complex are named after musicians. Arriving at the mural, there is a young man with dreadlocks leaning out of the window of a truck, looking at it. When he notices me in my jumpsuit, he says
“Moooi” (beautiful)
and gives me a thumbs-up. As we lay out the paints and begin preparing to start work, a newspaper journalist Jeroen appears from out of nowhere and starts asking as usual about the progress of the mural. Dutch people are generally sociable and talkative. When I climb up the ladder to the top of the scaffolding, I can get a glimpse of the everyday lives of the diverse people who live here in the Buitenhof district. A mother in a hijab hurries along on a bicycle with a child in the basket, a long-haired Caucasian man walks a large dog, dark-skinned sisters play, their neatly braided hair swinging. Living alongside these people from such diverse backgrounds, I am not once conscious of my being Asian.
The mural this time, being painted on the wall of a housing complex in Delft, is with the cooperation of the Museum Prinsenhof Delft and CANIDREAM as part of a project to commemorate 425 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Netherlands. This area of Delft is where people with particularly diverse roots live. With the cooperation of Saga Prefecture, three high school students participated in the mural creation too. Their white jumpsuits became vibrantly colored over the four days, proof of their wholehearted dedication to the project. The children from the housing complex with whom they had interacted also attended the unveiling ceremony, looking up proudly at the mural they had created.
The environment was similar to that of the mural in Mariupol, so I was reminded of Ukraine a number of times. I still clearly remember that city, which was seriously damaged by shelling three years ago, and the mural at the elementary school, along with the faces of the children I spent time with there. Watching the Dutch children running around in excitement, I had a strong wish for world peace. I have painted the Over the Wall sun in Africa, Ukraine, South America, and Asian, and now here in the Netherlands, making me feel that the message
“People all over the world live under the same sun” has become even stronger.
August 25, 2025
Over the Wall – A Global Mural Project
Artist: Kensuke Miyazaki
“Tsunagari”
Size 15m x 12m
August 25, 2025
Project Period: Aug 3 – 31, 2025
© Over the Wall