Nihon Essayist Club Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 27 (1979) award
Toko Shinoda
しのだ とうこう
Shinoda Tōkō
Pen Names:
Toko Shinoda（Artistic name used professionally for artworks and publications）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1913-03-28 （Dalian, Kwantung Leased Territory (then under Japanese administration)）
- Died
- 2021-03-01 （Ome, Tokyo, Japan） age 107
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Dalian (birthplace) → Tokyo, Japan → New York, USA (residence 1956–1958)
Career
- Occupations
- artist, printmaker, essayist
- Active Years
- 1930-2021
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Prefectural Eighth High School for Girls (former Tokyo Prefectural Shinagawa Girls' High School; now Tokyo Metropolitan Yashio High School) | — | — | — | 1925-1930 | Japan |
Tokyo Prefectural Eighth High School for Girls (former Tokyo Prefectural Shinagawa Girls' High School; now Tokyo Metropolitan Yashio High School)
Period:
1925-1930
Year of Graduation:
1930
Country:
Japan
Received calligraphy instruction during girls' school years; thereafter largely self-taught
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Japan Essayist Club Prize | Sumi-iro | — | Japan Essayist Club | winner |
Japan Essayist Club Prize
1979
Work:
Sumi-iro
Organization:
Japan Essayist Club
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Longing
lithograph (hand-colored)A lithograph work, hand-colored; representative of her print production.
inkabstraction
DOMAIN
lithograph (hand-colored)Hand-colored lithograph print.
bokusho (ink abstraction)space
QUIETUDE
1976 lithographA 1976 lithograph focusing on serenity and quietude.
tranquilitybrush gesture
What I Learned at 103
2015 essaysEssays on life and perspective in very old age; published when the author was 103 and became a bestseller.
agingsolitudeways of living
Bibliography
- New Calligraphy: Twelve Months, with Commentary on Lyric Poetry
- Sumi-iro
- Shudei Sho
- What I Learned at 103: Life Is Interesting Even Alone
- Toko 100 Years
- This Is the End
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- abstract ink expression (bokusho)lyrical expression using a limited palette
- Recurring Motifs
- single brush strokes and gesturenegative spacetexture of washi paper and ink
Legacy
Toko Shinoda pursued ink-based abstraction that departed from traditional calligraphy, gaining early international recognition. Her late-life writings attracted attention, her works are held in major museums worldwide, and several exhibition spaces bear her name.
Museums
- Seki City Toko Shinoda Art Space Seki, Gifu Prefecture (inside Seki City Hall)
- Toko Shinoda Museum (Niigata) Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture
Archives
- Collection of Gifu Museum of Modern Art
- Held in overseas museums (e.g., The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Quotes
-
Life is interesting even alone.
Source: What I Learned at 103 (Gentosha) (2015)
Trivia
- Her essay collection written at age 103 became a bestseller.
- Died of natural causes at age 107.