Asao Tokolo and His Prayer Through Paper Cranes

Asao Tokolo, the designer of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics emblem, presents his first solo exhibition in Taiwan, in the hope of spreading luck and peace.

Asao Tokolo and “Prayer for a Thousand Paper Cranes”
Courtesy of Eslite

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Asao Tokolo, better known as the designer of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics emblem, presents his first solo exhibition in Taiwan at Eslite Xinyi Store.

Tokolo is an interdisciplinary artist who, with a background in architecture, excels in creating a myriad of intricate patterns using geometric shapes. The “checkered emblem” that he designed for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics makes reference to the “ichimatsu moyou” (市松模様), a traditional Japanese checkerboard pattern that became popular during the Edo period (1603–1868). Its composition, which includes three kinds of rectangular shapes, embodies the spirit of “Unity in Diversity”, referring to Olympic Games as a platform for connecting the world.

“Connect” plays an important role in Tokolo’s creative work. According to the artist, he draws his inspiration from the devastating event of September 11, 2001. “Some people will use words to express the feeling of this kind of rupture, or record it. I’m not good at using words, so I use graphics to express the feeling of wanting the world to focus on connecting together,” he said.

Visitors trying their hands on the Tokolo Orizuru

In the exhibition, Asao Tokolo [CONNECT], the artist brilliantly transformed his signature pattern design from two dimensional to three dimensional with “Tokolo Orizuru”, or the Tokolo-style paper crane, folded from paper printed with calculated design in blue and white.

“Tokolo Orizuru” of various sizes are found throughout the exhibition. In an art installation titled “Prayer for a Thousand Paper Cranes”, which consists of a sea of origami cranes floating in the air, bears fruit of a collaborative endeavour between the Japanese artist and the Taiwanese nationals.

Origami is the traditional art of folding paper. According to a Japanese legend, anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish. By refashioning this centuries-old tradition, the artist hopes to spread luck and peace in Taiwan.

Inside the exhibition Asao Tokolo [CONNECT]

The pattern on the folding paper, similar to most of the artist’s pattern design on display, adopts indigo blue — a traditional colour that expresses the refined elegance and sophistication of Japanese aesthetics. It’s interesting to point out that even the exhibition poster was designed in a way so that part of it can be folded into a giant paper crane.

The act of folding paper crane is, in Tokolo’s words, an attempt to “finding hope and pursuing peace in this divided world”. Knowing the amount of courage it would take to make public statement like “there should be no war, no killing in the world”, the artist chose to deliver the message through paper crane, which is known to be a long-standing symbol of peace in Japanese culture.

For this exhibition, Tokolo also showcased an art installation titled “Once in a 1000 Cranes Higashi Matsushima 2020”, which was made in memory of the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

Tokolo Patterns 100 Works, 2020, Asao Tokolo

Nearly 300 classic pattern are showcased in the exhibition. The intricacy and geometric precision seen in Tokolo’s design find its roots in humanistic care, through which he aims to connect, and perhaps heal, a world that suffers from natural disasters, wars, pandemics, and many others.

While each pattern is in a world of its own, they seem to take on a new life when they’re being shown collectively, transformed into a sculpture or, as in the case of paper crane, used to spread message of peace.

Art differs from design in the sense that the former provokes thoughts and emotions, whereas the latter exists to solve problems. Yet, it’s obvious that Tokolo’s creative work lies at the crossroad of art and design, blurring the boundary between the two.

At a time when the world is in the face of an never-ending pandemic and the threat of a possible World War III, Tokolo’s work is a beacon of hope to those who feel helpless and fearful. As for the citizens of Taiwan who are now in the face of a provocative war game, a visit to Asao Tokolo [CONNECT] will perhaps bring some comfort and strength.

Asao Tokolo [CONNECT] is now on view at the Multifunctional Hall on the 6th Floor of Eslite Xinyi Store, Taipei City, and runs through August 14, 2022. The exhibition extends to the store’s first floor entrance on Songgao Road, as well as Eslite Spectrum Nanxi Store and Eslite Spectrum Songyan Store.