Shibarista Jess:

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Originally from The Netherlands, I have been living in Antwerp for 19 years, with my partner BeShibari. My perception on Japanese rope bondage is mainly shaped by living and working intimately with him. Together we have been promoting and teaching shibari since 2007. In 2016 we founded Shibari Lounge, a no-frills, no-guru, no-ego platform for shibari lovers of all kinds and all walks of life.

 

I know the ropes from both sides. I used to love bottoming in the ropes, however my sputtering health doesn’t allow me to do so anymore. So, I stick to topping and find great pleasure in tying and teaching. Some keywords to describe my rope play: intuitive and connective, a little mischievous & slightly sadistic. I do not consider myself to be ‘a performer’, but I am looking forward to be on the Onawa stage not just as the festival MC, but as a shibarite as well!

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PiercedBabyBunny:

My story with ropes started roughly 4 years ago, and after years of longing for it; a bunny was born. For me, shibari is about surrender. Not surrendering to another person, but surrendering to the moment. It's a chance to put down the backpack I carry through everyday life and simply exist for a while. Both in therapeutic sessions, or in a difficult predicament. The ropes ask me to trust my body, to accept discomfort, to let go of self-consciousness and stop trying to control everything. They challenge me and soothe me at the same time. In those moments, my mind finally falls silent. It's a beautiful paradox: when I am most restrained, I feel the most free.
 

Three years ago, I was walking through Antwerp wearing a fashionable shibari harness as part of my outfit. Two strangers on a bike turned around to ask me about it. Those strangers were Shibarista and her partner BeShibari. They invited me to join one of their rope evenings, and that's where we tied for the very first time.

We got along from the first rope and have been tying (on and off) together for 3 years now. Nurturing an unspoken, deep level of trust between us, our play is intimate but challenging. We both like to explore and seriously flirt with our boundaries!