Headlands Center for the Arts

Artist Statement

I am a Tokyo-based koto player. Music is my way to connect to the world — people, nature, and beyond boundaries. As an artist, my mediums of koto and voice allow me to be innovative. Koto has infinite potential with its unique, marginal, rich, and universally fascinating quality. I believe that simplicity is the ultimate beauty. When I perform both traditional and contemporary pieces, I aspire to produce “three-dimensional sounds” with my organic instruments by focusing not only on each note but also on the silence in between. Different art forms have become increasingly interconnected these days and I believe I have a mission to pass on Japanese traditional aesthetics through my various activities. I hope my distinctive sound creations will contribute to the diversity and chemistry of art and reach many people around the world.

While at Headlands

While at Headlands, I plan to create new works expanding the horizons for koto and other elements such as field recordings, nature sounds, musical instruments, voices, and silence. Moreover, I would like to develop new networks for future creation. I plan to introduce the fascinating nature of Japanese traditional music. I hope to be able to collaborate with artists regardless of genre, including sound artists, filmmakers, dancers, poets, and theatrical artists. At the same time, I am eager to explore the boundaries between music/sound and visual art. I hope to deepen my experiences and thoughts regarding installations and videos, using not only acoustic elements but also digital, to develop an interdisciplinary practice.

Selected Works

Shinobu Eto, YoDoMi よどみ

Shinobu Eto, midare みだれ