Toko Shinoda's most distinctive feature is her pursuit of unlimited expressive possibilities using the simple material of ink. In her works, t here are no concrete motifs that define meaning or form, and the lines and dots drawn by the brush, as well as the blotches and grazes of the ink, dominate the picture plane. It is a free and abstract world that is rooted in the tradition of calligraphy, but is not bound by existing frameworks.

She describes her own style as ‘I just draw lines’, and in this simplicity she has put infinite imagination into her work.

Although her work is all ink, it evokes rich emotions and interpretations in the viewer. The shading and blurring of the ink, as well as the dialogue with the margins, evoke a deep sense of spirituality and the passage of time. She sees ink as ‘containing all colours’ and has explored the infinite expressive possibilities hidden in this seemingly simple material.

Shinoda preaches the importance of living simply and eliminating waste. Her work,

which strips away the superfluous and emphasises the beaut y of space and margins, could be described as her way of life itself.

Until his death in 2021, at the age of 107, Toko Shinoda continued to hold a unique position in contemporary art. Her works are in the colle ctions of major museums in Japan and abroad, and her artistic legacy continues to inspire many people.

Her works show the infinite world created from the limited material of ink, and make us feel the beauty of the ‘invisible’.

Her way of life and the quiet, powerful messages contained in her works will continue to resonate with us. The ‘aesthetics of space’ and the ‘transience of time’ as captured by Toko Shinoda evoke empathy as universal themes even today.