Katachi 

Editor: This is "Katachi," a graphic art piece by Toko Shinoda, created with ink. It strikes me as quite dynamic; the composition is simple, yet the stark contrasts create a real sense of movement and tension. What do you see in this work, looking at it from a curatorial perspective? Curator: I am particularly interested in the material processes involved. Consider the artist’s choice of ink. What kind of ink? How was it applied? The nuances in the black areas, some dense and others lighter, suggest variations in pigment density and layering techniques. Even the red squiggles -- are they another form of ink? Are they a commentary? Editor: That's a great point. I hadn't really considered the red lines as part of that conversation. I was drawn more to their disruption to the otherwise blocky geometric shapes, like a rogue element. Curator: Exactly. But beyond aesthetics, let's think about production. This isn't mass-produced. There's the labour of hand application, the artist's focused intention. The materials, while simple, possess inherent value shaped by Shinoda’s skill. Were these high-quality inks typical of calligraphy practices, or industrial? I wonder if that can suggest a comment on either craft vs commodity. Editor: I see what you mean. By focusing on the materiality and the processes of creation, it moves beyond just being a composition to becoming a kind of… commentary? Curator: Precisely. This is not merely abstraction; it’s abstraction rooted in a material reality. Editor: It is fascinating how looking through the lens of materials opens up a whole new way of interpreting the work, revealing potentially radical ideas about creation, labor and value. Curator: It certainly does. Considering materials challenges that traditional boundary between high art and the day to day that sustains it.