MAKI Gallery is pleased to present Oita-based artist Shiori Tono’s solo exhibition Nandemonai at Tennoz, Tokyo.
Nandemonai—meaning “ordinary” or “trivial” in Japanese—features a collection of paintings based on photographs Tono took of fleeting, unassuming scenes from her immediate surroundings. A Christmas cake shared at her part-time job; potted plants quietly sitting unnoticed as time goes by; eucalyptus leaves glistening in the sunlight—none of these are dramatic subjects, yet it is their very subtlety that imbues them with a precious tenderness.
By meticulously painting the ephemeral vignettes she encounters, Tono creates a multitude of images that seem to shift and evolve alongside the flow of time, heightening our awareness of the here and now. Her works gently illuminate overlooked moments and carefully retrieve memories on the verge of fading into oblivion. We invite you to immerse yourself in them as you pause and contemplate the lingering vestiges of days gone by.
Nandemonai—meaning “ordinary” or “trivial” in Japanese—features a collection of paintings based on photographs Tono took of fleeting, unassuming scenes from her immediate surroundings. A Christmas cake shared at her part-time job; potted plants quietly sitting unnoticed as time goes by; eucalyptus leaves glistening in the sunlight—none of these are dramatic subjects, yet it is their very subtlety that imbues them with a precious tenderness.
By meticulously painting the ephemeral vignettes she encounters, Tono creates a multitude of images that seem to shift and evolve alongside the flow of time, heightening our awareness of the here and now. Her works gently illuminate overlooked moments and carefully retrieve memories on the verge of fading into oblivion. We invite you to immerse yourself in them as you pause and contemplate the lingering vestiges of days gone by.
Artist