Shinoda Toko: Abstract Calligraphy

A trailblazer in 20th-century Japanese calligraphy, Shinoda Toko (1913–2021) reshaped the art of ink abstraction with her distinctive and dynamic style.

Shinoda studied traditional calligraphy but soon rejected the practice of copying past masters, likening it to “creating a fake.” A calligrapher at heart, Shinoda preferred lithography over woodblock printing, as it allowed her to directly apply her brushwork to the plate, capturing the nuances of each stroke.

As she transitioned from painting legible Chinese characters toward avant-garde abstraction, Shinoda initially faced resistance in Japan and moved to New York in 1956. “I wanted to see how my works would be received in a foreign country,” she later recalled, “where letters are not read as letters.” Throughout her 107-year lifetime, the artist consistently sought her own vision of beauty, free from the confines of tradition.