Modern Lithograph Available in Contemporary Japanese Art Sale Throughout the 20th century, Japanese artist Toko Shinoda built her own Modernist tradition. Her career lasted over seven decades, taking her from the shores of Japan to the burgeoning artist communities of New York. Shinoda was closely associated with Abstract Expressionism. However, she differed from the likes of Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko with her experience as a master calligrapher. Shinoda combined the old and the new to become one of Japan’s most beloved Modernists. Floating World Auctions will present one of Shinoda’s lithographs in the Modern and Contemporary Japanese Art Auction this month. The sale will start at 12:00 PM EDT on March 20th, 2021, just a few weeks after the artist’s death. Find out more about Toko Shinoda before placing a bid. Toko Shinoda. Image from Daisaku Sato (STUDIO DAI). Toko Shinoda’s parents helped her pursue the scholarly arts from a young age. Her great-uncle was an official seal carver for Emperor Meiji, and Shinoda’s parents pushed her toward calligraphy when she turned six years old. The artist spent years honing her craft. By the start of World War II, Shinoda could support herself with her brushstrokes. She enjoyed solo exhibitions in 1940s Tokyo, which was then unheard of for independent women artists. Shinoda traveled to New York after the war concluded. While there, she encountered the Abstract Expressionists. Shinoda saw hints of her own rebellious spirit in their spontaneous tendencies. For years, she felt unsatisfied by the rigid boundaries of calligraphy. Abstraction intrigued her. After spending time abroad, Shinoda returned to Japan with a renewed interest in challenging traditional forms. Her style gradually evolved to incorporate both ancient techniques and avant-garde styles. Shinoda embraced an unconventional lifestyle early on. She decided not to marry or have children, instead prioritizing her career path. While Shinoda’s art upended artistic norms, she distanced herself from the unrestrained American Expressionists. Most of her works are clean, deliberate, and symbolic. “A conservative renegade; a liberal traditionalist; a woman steeped in the male-dominated conventions that she consistently opposed,” Paul Gray wrote about Shinoda for Time…
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