The Timeless Elegance of Toko SHINODA's Lithographs
- hilarytolman
- Apr 10
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Toko SHINODA, who lived to the remarkable age of 107 (1913-2021), remains one of Japan's most celebrated abstract artists. Her distinctive approach to lithography created a very personal visual language that successfully bridged traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern abstract expressionism.
Shinoda's lithographs are characterized by their dramatic balance between discipline and spontaneity. Having mastered calligraphy from the age of six, she brought this foundational training to her lithographic work. Unlike the rigidity of traditional Japanese calligraphy, the lithographic medium offered her the opportunity to experiment freely, composing powerful works of depth and complexity. Drawing from tradition, she created very contemporary pieces.
Originally a painter, Shinoda had never thought of making prints until abstract artist Arthur Flory (in Japan to teach a class on lithography) suggested to her that her fluid style naturally lent itself to the lithographic medium. While continuing to create stunning paintings, Shinoda embraced this additional outlet for creativity for its unique properties. She understood and exploited lithography's capacity to capture fine gradations of tone, creating works of remarkable nuance that would have been difficult to achieve in other media.
Shinoda sought the assistance of master printer Kihachi KIMURA (1934-2014) in printing her lithographs and for several decades they collaborated on hundreds of editions, over 300 of which she exclusively made for the Tolman Collection. Traditional lithography involves drawing on limestone with oil-based materials, but Shinoda often added hand-painted elements to each piece after printing. Her favorite block of vermillion – that brilliant red the hallmark of much of her work - dated from the Ming dynasty, and held place of honor in her studio. Her hybrid and hands-on approach to lithography resulted in works that add the unique character of paintings to the prints that she created - each print in an edition with hand added color is slightly different.
Her restrained color palette reflected her aesthetic heritage - bold black lines and forms against white space, occasionally accented with small areas of vibrant color, an economy of color that allowed for her monochromatic shapes to command attention. She also believed that the negative space in her compositions was as meaningful as the fearless strokes she transcribed onto the paper.
Equally striking about Shinoda's lithographs is their timelessness. Her art somehow manages to feel both ancient and totally contemporary at the same time. Created across many decades of her illustrious career, they maintain a consistent visual integrity while still showing her evolution as an artist. Whether she created a piece in the 1960s or the 2000s, there's a consistent beauty and truthfulness to her artistic vision.
Collecting Shinoda's lithographs has become increasingly popular among art enthusiasts who continue to appreciate their sophisticated aesthetic and cultural significance. Each print represents an important connection to one of Japan's most significant artists, whose work is held in the collections of prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the British Museum in London.
Toko Shinoda's lithographs aren't just beautiful works on paper – they are brief glimpses into the mind of an artist who brilliantly bridged cultures and traditions, creating art that continues to speak to people from around the world.
More about the artist: The Doyenne of Japanese Contemporary Art: Toko SHINODA
A bit about the artist's paintings: A YouTube Video: The Paintings of Toko SHINODA