March 2026 Feast of Black and White

Tomoko Nomura’s creative process begins with 【Washi Paper Making (Papermaking)】. We have the privilege of exclusively using the workshop of Ozu Washi, which has continued since 1653 during the Edo period, to perform “papermaking,” the first step in creation. Within the papermaking vat containing the raw materials for paper—kozo and tororo-aoi fibers—we layer the fibers to first create the “foundation of all things in the universe.” Next, she applies sumi-nagashi (ink-flow) to her handmade washi paper. With the sumi-nagashi side facing down, she depicts the world of all things using a “men-so brush” and “sumi ink.” When painting this world of ink, she always prepares herself to be in a state of “emptiness,” drawing inspiration from the handmade paper and the sumi-nagashi, moving the brush as she feels. From there, I listen for the voice saying “I’m here,” and the dialogue with the canvas begins. I layer thin handmade washi paper over the line drawings, add more brushwork, and layer more paper. I soak handmade paper in ink, tear it into strips, let it rest for two nights, and when I sense the beauty of its gradations, I welcome it back into the composition. This painstaking creative process means even a small M3-sized piece takes a month and a half, while a large 160cm work requires over half a year to complete.
I hope you can feel the unique world of all things woven together by water, ink, handmade paper, and myself.
I adore the universe that emerges there, and I continue to pursue ultimate originality with joy. Please engage in dialogue with the children on the canvas. And if you encounter a favorite child, I would be deeply grateful and delighted if the children I nurtured with care, stroke by stroke, could bring a warm breeze into your heart at their next home, connecting our destinies.
Thank you for your kind consideration.