In Kanagawa, Japan, Ramon Todo‘s art studio is a place where the past and present blend seamlessly into stunning sculptures. His choice of materials – stones that whisper ancient secrets and books that carry philosophical debates – is deeply thoughtful. The layers of glass he embeds within these rugged forms do more than just beautify; they serve as windows through which we can view the long journey of time and history.
“Stone is like DNA that remembers the entire history of a place,” Todo muses. Isn’t it fascinating to think of inanimate objects as keepers of time, silently witnessing the world’s unfoldings? By introducing glass into stone, Todo isn’t just crafting art; he’s inviting us to look deeper, to see the layers of time that every piece of earth or fragment of building has witnessed.
Todo’s approach to sourcing materials is a reflection of his belief in the spiritual and emotional resonance of objects. He incorporates everything from basalt and coal to pieces of architecture like the Japan National Stadium and debris from demolished buildings. Each element is chosen for its ability to convey a story, its energy and information contributing to a narrative only art can tell.
When you stand before a Todo sculpture, what do you see? Is it just glass and stone, or do you feel the echoes of history, the silent tales of creation and destruction that these materials have lived through? Todo hopes you do. He wants each viewer to sense the memory, time, and place that the materials hold, bridging a connection that is both intimate and universal.
His work is a reminder of the powerful dialogue between nature and civilization, asking us to consider how we interact with the world and what we leave behind. Through Todo’s eyes, art becomes a medium to explore not just aesthetic pleasure but also deeper questions about existence and time. How do we interpret the legacies encapsulated in the everyday? How does art help us connect with parts of history we have never lived? Also don’t forget to check Wabi-Sabi philosophy based stone furniture.
In the layers of glass and stone, Todo offers us a chance to reflect, to wonder, and perhaps, to understand a little more about the world and ourselves.
