Maiden 1985

Toko Shinoda made this abstract print, Maiden, with ink on paper. The image feels immediate, a record of a moment. Look how the large grey rectangle is made up of many small marks, like water reflecting light. The red slash is strong and decisive, a contrast to the softness of the grey. There’s a tension between the different elements, like a conversation happening on the page. Shinoda’s use of ink reminds me of Cy Twombly’s drawings; both artists share a love of gesture and a sense of freedom. Shinoda's work is about poetry and abstraction, and the space between what is said and unsaid. It’s about the ongoing exchange of ideas and how each artwork can embrace ambiguity, offering multiple interpretations rather than fixed meanings.