The View From A Window

April 2021

THE VIEW FROM A WINDOW ReConnect Artists (Project Ability) × Remi Tohno (The Glasgow School of Art)

TABLE OF CONTENT

1.

ABOUT ME

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2.

A WINDOW

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3.

WORKSHOP

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4.

DRAWINGS

10

5.

AFTERWORD

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ABOUT ME

ditions which adopt simplicity and minimalist expression. Tohno is interested in the process of conceptual art and its relationship to the spiritual.The work endeavours to create a void and space where the viewer can explore the work’s quintessence in relation to their own emotions and experiences. Here the work can be experienced as meditative and therapeutic.

Tohno works with a variety of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional processes, often using photography and text. The result is often presented as an installation, this involves playing with space and allowing the viewer to be immersed in the work.

Tohno is one of the selected students collaborating with Project Ability in 2020/2021. Tohno has worked with ReConnect artists and participated in weekly Zoom workshop sessions based on nature and environment themes.

I believe art is salvation.

Sometimes we feel life is hard.

But we can receive the sense of security, the echoes of your invocation and warmth from the artwork.

Remi Tohno (b.1992) is a neurodiverse artist based in Scotland and Japan. Tohon graduated in Fine Art from JOSHIBI College of Art and Design in Japan and is now studying Sculpture and Environmental Art at The Glasgow School of Art.

Tohno’s work centres around themes of emotion and memory, exploring personal and collective anxiety and trauma, aiming to draw between the individual and the universal. It ia also influenced by spiritual practices such as Buddhism and Shintoism, as well as Romantic and Abstract Expressionist art tra-

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The Wee Days Remi Tohno, 2015 -

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A WINDOW “First of all, on the surface which I am going to paint, I draw a rectangle of whatever size I want, which I regard as an open window through which the subject to be painted is seen.”

This is a quotation from On Painting written by Leon Battista Alberti in the Renaissance era. In painting, the window is a sort of metaphor used by artists in various ways: a motif with representative associations of illumination or expectation, a bridge between the inner and outer world.

During the current national lockdown, the window can be considered as a symbol connecting to the outside world and a point of view. People have been using their windows to display rainbow drawings to support NHS or yellow love hearts for those who have lost loved ones. The window allows us to engage with the world from the comforts of our homes while protecting us from the COVID elements.

I think exploring and sharing everyday life through our windows might be a new way of connecting to one another during this period.

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WORKSHOP I led one of the weekly zoom sessions with ReConnect artists on the 19th of February, in which seven artists participated. Following this session’s theme, my project has explored ideas around a view from a window.

D rawings

In the session, I asked the artists to draw a picture of a view gazing out of the window in my home in Tokyo, Japan. Showing this image of the domestic space was like inviting them into my home. Even though many of them may never visit my country, this may give them an insight into my life. Here are the beautiful results of the drawings shown via zoom.

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DRAWINGS After the workshop, the artists were invited to continue exploring this theme by developing the view through their own window at home. This section will introduce 5 fantastic drawings by ReConnect artists and myself.

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R emi T ohno

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S tuart L ow

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E ileen D avie

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A lasdair

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S ian M ather

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AFTERWORD Art is like a communication tool. By sharing drawings each session, I feel that I am getting to know each artist from a creative perspective and seeing their unique style. This subtle process was somehow so warm and welcoming for me. As a neurodiverse artist with lived experience of mental health difficulties, my time with Project Ability was really special, working with amazing peers.

I appreciate all of the artists and staff who have supported this project.

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The Wee Days Remi Tohno, 2015 -

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April 2021

THE VIEW FROM A WINDOW ReConnect Artists (Project Ability) × Remi Tohno (The Glasgow School of Art)