Tokonoma (Variation, Private collection)

Suchan Kinoshita’s art practice includes installations, sculpture and performance; and the artist makes use of various materials such as glass, wood, found objects and photographs. In her works, she questions the role of the artist, the means of sharing artwork with the viewer, and the relationship between the viewer and the work. Seeking out experimental ways of exploring spatial, architectural elements and empty spaces, Kinoshita’s works are inspired by the major elements of Japanese culture and aesthetics, such as haiku, the traditional Japanese art of short poems, the concept of time in Zen philosophy, and tokonoma, the principles ruling the organisation of interior space in Japanese houses.

"Tokonoma Variation" belongs to the series titled "Tokonoma", which the artist began in 2012. In these works, Kinoshita uses architectural references such as planks, drywall, wood surfaces or folding screens, as well as ordinary and personal objects like shoes, tissues and photographs. The artist intervenes in the Japanese style of arranging these elements, which has definite rules and forms of application, by reinterpreting various aspects of it, including the notion of spatial arrangement, the elements used, the relationship of these elements with one another, and the roles of distance and empty spaces.