Tomo Mori

Tomo Mori's work exists at the end of the day. An almost ritual-like creative process often taken place late in the evenings, as Tomo repairs her inner balance, praying to heal and reconnect the world broken in so many places.
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Tomo has been mainly working on two series. Her fabric collage series utilizes mosaic techniques. Hundreds of squares reminiscent of digital pixels compose an aggregate like a living organism, together representing harmony and the history of our time. The focus is on the beauty and complexity of multiculturalism and the history of our ancestors' journey and survival. Imagining their journeys remind us that our lives are miracles.

In addition to gallery exhibitions, she takes the same concept and aesthetic to create murals and public art installation. In recent years she worked on projects with Governors Island, Columbia University and MTA Art and Design.
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The other is a fiber art installation series that Tomo started after the 2016 election. She felt the urgency to work on the human connection theme because it felt like many things were beginning to fall apart.      

Tomo chose rope as a symbol because it's an ancient and universal object. Ropes are also multi-purpose. They can help our lives, but they can also take one's freedom away. She was also fascinated by the structure of ropes. Braiding two opposing forces creates strength.
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The fabrics she uses are clothes and linens of our time, donated from friends from many places. Tomo didn't know until recently that her grandmother's birth family owned a rope/twine manufacturer in Japan. One day her mother remarked that it's 'interesting that you're making ropes like you're supposed to' - life imitates art again.