Page 28 - Christies Japanese and Korean Art Sept 22 2020 NYC

14
SHINODA TOKO (B. 1913)
Nexus (Musubi)
Signed Toko and sealed To, signed, dated and titled on the reverse
sumi-ink and gold leaf on paper
35æ x 24æ in. (90.8 x 62.8 cm.)
$35,000-45,000

Nexus does indeed provide a gentle visual effect so characteristic
of her work. As the lines ricochet across the composition, a sense
of fragile and delicate balance emerges from the surface, leaving
the viewer in an appeasing contemplation. The variations of the
lines and colors bring dimensionality and motion to the surface.
However, this quiet balance is interrupted by the airy thin black
lines disengaging themselves from the thick black stroke, bringing
a sense of pleasing spontaneity and lightness to the composition.

My works are all delicate — just one little part keeps it all together. If one line
went just a bit wrong, if the color were a little darker, it would not be what I was
trying to show. My works are all like that. They are fragile. I cannot create stable,

contented, rich kinds of works. I might be able to create one in the future, though.

– Shinoda Toko