From a World Heritage Site to the World.

An individual exhibition by artist Shuto Todoroki will be held for the second consecutive year at Ninna-ji Temple, a World Heritage site in Kyoto. While working primarily in France, we have come to feel anew the richness of tranquility and spirituality inherent in Japanese culture. Precisely because we are now communicating this to the world, there are things that can be conveyed from Japan. If we were to take on the next solo exhibition, we wanted to hold it at a representative Japanese temple. With that desire, we chose Ninna-ji Temple, a World Heritage site with approximately 1,100 years of history, which continues to convey Japanese culture and the spirit of prayer to the present day.

Last year, we held our first solo exhibition in Ninna-ji Temple's Kuroshoin (Black Study), and many people viewed the works. We received numerous warm responses such as, "My heart became calm by facing the works," and "I felt emotions that cannot be expressed in words." This year, our second year, we have further refined the exhibition composition, the way the works are presented, and the spatial direction based on the experience gained in our first year.

The exhibition venue has moved from last year's Kuroshoin to the Shiroshoin (White Study).

We will deliver a new worldview as an exhibition where the works and the space resonate more deeply. There are things that can only be conveyed by these works, and there are moments that can only be born in this place. In a space enveloped by history and tranquility, face the works and listen to your own heart. We want to deliver that experience to the world from this place. That is our second challenge.

Connecting with the world through paintings, not words.

Shuto Todoroki was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3, when communication through words was difficult. After entering elementary school, his writing pressure was extremely weak, and he could not hold a pencil sufficiently until around the age of 10. Despite various efforts such as practicing with triangular pencils, 4B pencils, holding marbles, and attaching clothespins to pencils, he had little interest in writing or drawing, and the same pencils remained in his pencil case from the first to the fourth grade. The turning point was his beloved "singing." It was through starting to practice "drawing songs" with the cooperation of his music teacher that he discovered the joy of drawing. Soon, he began to draw not only on paper but also on walls and sheets, wherever he found blank space. His world evolved into original and colorful works that freely combined hiragana, katakana, alphabets, and numbers. Currently, he draws with a powerful brush pressure unimaginable from his childhood, to the point where the pens he uses quickly wear out. It is impressive to see him face his completed works as if speaking to them, conversing with each piece. For him, for whom verbal expression was difficult, painting became "another language" to connect with the world. Continuing to draw by believing in his own senses, not to conform to others. That is the origin of Shuto Todoroki's expression as an artist.

A work born once in 2,000 sheets.

He does not use special materials for his artwork. His most preferred materials are water-based colored pens, available at any supermarket, and A4 copy paper. He continues to choose the tools that are easiest for him to draw with, rather than expensive art supplies. If he is even slightly unsatisfied during the creation process, he will redraw from the beginning on a new sheet of paper. The works completed through this repetition are about one in 2,000 sheets. He is now also working on A3-sized pieces and canvas works measuring 40cm square. The large works exhibited this time are a series connecting canvases drawn at different times into a single work. Although the production periods differ, they mysteriously depict a single world naturally, creating new expressions. He usually lives in a dormitory and creates his work on weekends or during time spent at home. Sometimes he concentrates and draws all night, and sometimes he starts drawing suddenly during the day. Although a desk and chair were prepared for his work, he insists on drawing while sitting in seiza at a low table.

Why Ninna-ji Temple?

Ninna-ji Temple, as a monzeki temple associated with the imperial family, is a World Heritage site that carries on the history and tradition symbolizing Japanese culture to the present day. Todoroki's works do not have a fixed answer. His drawings, which look like letters or patterns, are completed according to each viewer's perception. Instead of trying to understand the work, consider what you felt. Perceive the voice of your heart. The works provide an opportunity for that.

The place, Ninna-ji Temple, possesses a tranquility cultivated over a long history and the breath of Japanese culture. For Shuto, who has connected with the world through paintings rather than words, the time spent facing his own senses in that tranquility overlaps with his journey so far. He feels that the space of Ninna-ji Temple is a place that can enrich the experience he wants to convey.

As a family, regarding this solo exhibition.

When our son was diagnosed with autism in his early childhood, we thought, "How can we make him do things like everyone else?" We wanted him to be able to speak, to write, to communicate well with people. At first, we even wondered if we "had to make him able to do what he couldn't do." But what we truly wished for was for our son to live a life where he felt, "I am glad I was born."

Not to overcome autism, but to live life as himself. We came to believe that it is not about lacking something, but rather a way of feeling and expressing the world unique to that person. He has his own world. Rather than conforming to the pace of others, he believes in his own senses and delves deeply into one thing. Watching him, we began to feel that "autism" is not about lacking something, but rather a way of being deeply connected to one's inner self. We believe that the greatest appeal of our son's work is that it creates an opportunity to confront oneself through the artwork, rather than trying to understand it. And we feel that Ninna-ji Temple, a World Heritage site, has a special meaning as a place that nurtures such time. Even now, we sometimes receive hints for life from our son. Among them, the most important lesson has been the importance of "believing in your own senses." We hope that this exhibition will serve as an opportunity for all visitors to cherish their own senses.

Shuto TODOROKI

Born February 3, 1998, in Paris, France. An artist who continues to create works based in France and Japan.

Major Career

2017 Held first solo exhibition at "Patronage laïque Jules Vallès" in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.

2019 Held first solo exhibition in Japan at "Gallery Canvas" in Jiyugaoka, Tokyo.

2019 Appeared on Nippon TV's "UPDATE."

2022 Appeared on NHK E Tele's "no art, no life."

2023 Held a six-week solo exhibition with a lecture at the Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris.

2025 Exhibited at the "International Peace Art Exhibition" at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

2025 Held a solo exhibition at Ninna-ji Temple (Kuroshoin), a World Heritage site in Kyoto.

2026 Held a solo exhibition at the bookstore "Art Saint-Pierre" in Paris.

Official Website: https://www.shutooo.com

Exhibition Overview

"Infinite Possibilities: Shuto Todoroki Art Brut Exhibition"

~The Universe of Colors Created by His "Infinite Possibilities" Despite Not Holding a Pen Until Age 10~

◾️Period: Saturday, August 1, 2026 - Sunday, August 9, 2026

◾️Viewing Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Last admission at 4:30 PM)

◾️Venue: Ninna-ji Temple, Shiroshoin <Address> 33 Omuroouchi, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture ◾️Admission Fee: Viewable with Ninna-ji Temple's Imperial Garden admission fee. Adults ¥800 (High school students and younger free)

◎Inquiries regarding the solo exhibition

・Shuto Todoroki (Father) Mail: todo@jfc-paris.fr

・Miyako Todoroki (Mother) Mail: shuto.todo@gmail.com

◎Inquiries regarding the exhibition venue

・Shingon sect Omuro branch, Head Temple Ninna-ji TEL: 075-461-1155 URL: https://ninnaji.jp

◎Inquiries regarding Shuto Todoroki

・Infinity Inc. Contact: Fukuda / Matsuda Mail: cast@infinityinc.co.jp