Residency Dates
3 – 24 March 2026
Artist Images
Residency Images
Testimonial
"Xenia gave me something rare - uninterrupted time to be fully present in my creative work. Freed from the noise of everyday life and routine, I found myself able to go deeper into my photographic practice and material research than I had in months. During my time there, I managed not only to create and find inspiration, but also to question my practice, reflect, and discover new ways to approach it.
The studio was spacious and light-filled, set within a stunning landscape and surrounded by abundant nature and wildlife. The staff were warm and welcoming, and the facilities and pavilions exceeded every expectation.
The residency is beautifully balanced - offering the privacy and quiet needed for focused work, while keeping the other artists close enough to socialise and spend time together between sessions.
The balance between solitude and connection, between focus and community, between nature and comfort, was simply wonderful. A space that supports not only art and artists, but also the processes, doubts, and slow-paced creation that good work requires.
I hope to return next year for another period at the farm, and I would encourage any artist whose practice (and self) needs a creative retreat to apply."
Bio
Born
1992,
Jerusalem,
Israel
About
Daniel Elkayam is a multidisciplinary art-designer and image-maker based in Amsterdam. He holds a B.Des. in Industrial Design from Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design (2019) and an MFA in Social Design from Design Academy Eindhoven (2024).
His work melds artistic research methods, material-rich contexts, and visual storytelling. Working across staged photography, object-making, and material experimentation, Elkayam investigates the boundaries of aesthetics, uncovering beauty in imperfection and transformation. Through objects and images, he questions how aesthetics shape our perception while holding traces of temporality, memory, and identity.
Fascinated and influenced by the still-life genre, Elkayam unfolds the subtle tensions embedded in mundane materials, natural forms, and overlooked phenomena. Through careful attention to texture, tactility, composition, and context, he constructs symbolism that examines contrasts between refinement and rawness, fragility and solidity, permanence and decay.
Rooted in collectable design and conceptual craftsmanship, his practice transforms materials into visual and poetic narratives that reflect on social and cultural norms.
For more information about Daniel, please visit his website: www.kayamstudio.com
Residency Dates
3 – 24 March 2026
Artist Images
Residency images
Testimonial
"Xenia gave me something rare - uninterrupted time to be fully present in my creative work. Freed from the noise of everyday life and routine, I found myself able to go deeper into my photographic practice and material research than I had in months. During my time there, I managed not only to create and find inspiration, but also to question my practice, reflect, and discover new ways to approach it.
The studio was spacious and light-filled, set within a stunning landscape and surrounded by abundant nature and wildlife. The staff were warm and welcoming, and the facilities and pavilions exceeded every expectation.
The residency is beautifully balanced - offering the privacy and quiet needed for focused work, while keeping the other artists close enough to socialise and spend time together between sessions.
The balance between solitude and connection, between focus and community, between nature and comfort, was simply wonderful. A space that supports not only art and artists, but also the processes, doubts, and slow-paced creation that good work requires.
I hope to return next year for another period at the farm, and I would encourage any artist whose practice (and self) needs a creative retreat to apply."
Born
1992,
Jerusalem,
Israel
About
Daniel Elkayam is a multidisciplinary art-designer and image-maker based in Amsterdam. He holds a B.Des. in Industrial Design from Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design (2019) and an MFA in Social Design from Design Academy Eindhoven (2024).
His work melds artistic research methods, material-rich contexts, and visual storytelling. Working across staged photography, object-making, and material experimentation, Elkayam investigates the boundaries of aesthetics, uncovering beauty in imperfection and transformation. Through objects and images, he questions how aesthetics shape our perception while holding traces of temporality, memory, and identity.
Fascinated and influenced by the still-life genre, Elkayam unfolds the subtle tensions embedded in mundane materials, natural forms, and overlooked phenomena. Through careful attention to texture, tactility, composition, and context, he constructs symbolism that examines contrasts between refinement and rawness, fragility and solidity, permanence and decay.
Rooted in collectable design and conceptual craftsmanship, his practice transforms materials into visual and poetic narratives that reflect on social and cultural norms.
For more information about Daniel, please visit his website: www.kayamstudio.com
© 2020 Xenia Creative Retreat | Hampshire, UK
© 2020 Xenia Creative Retreat | Hampshire, UK