Kimsusume Shioka #63

Within the human experience is a constant tension between the need to conform and the need to be an individual. At the heart of the desire for conformity lies a fear of exclusion. Challenging this desire is a need to express and distinguish yourself – to fulfill your dreams and desires - to convey your perspective and to be recognized and appreciated for your unique self by those around you. Tokyo Adorned shows us a rare honest glimpse into the identity of individuals who push the boundaries of this expression.

 

There is a particular subculture of mostly women in Tokyo where they embrace an exaggerated, extravagant, and boundary-pushing fashion to subvert this inherent duality when it comes to presenting their identity. These women deliberately curate every aspect of their outward appearance to make sure they become vibrant manifestations of themselves. Every fashion choice is a declaration, a refusal to be invisible, forcing the world to truly see them. Thomas Card’s “Tokyo Adorned” highlights the rare honesty that emerges in these extraordinary displays of our internalized selves.

 

For “Tokyo Adorned” Card creates a series of portraits. Overthrowing the typical notion of these women being encountered on the bustling metropolitan streets of Japan, becoming a mass of color and flare, Card positions each subject alone on a white wall. The sharp clarity of the portraiture allows us to carefully observe every detail, every choice, and every accessory. Their complex narratives embodied within their fashion and style to unravel before us manifesting their personality in a tangible form. They twirl and spin across the photographs, at ease by Card’s masterful guidance, rejecting the often intrusive gaze for one that invites us to look longer and more closely as we learn each woman’s story and celebration of the self.

 

What could feel otherworldly, as each woman dominates the room with vibrant color and intriguing plays of materiality. The unrelenting desire of these individuals to create a visual language for their own personality resonates with viewers of all backgrounds. We are posed with questions about our own identity and what needs we each possess when expressing it. Thomas Card shines a light on a subculture of forward thinkers, embracing creativity, artistry, and extravagance as a means of communication that matches the pace and innovation of the modern age. We are left asking ourselves, how can we catch up?

Thomas C. Card is an American artist based in New York. Card has always seen the world through the lens of art, questioning how to elevate the most simple and mundane aspects of life into their most aspirational state. And similarly, how to make the most fanciful and whimsical elements communicate their most profound meaning. Underlying Card’s work you will find mathematical formulas and symbolism that draw on scientific theories and art history alike.

 

Born in Johnson City, Tennessee and raised in Decatur, Illinois, Card rose out of the rough and tumble industrial environment through his achievements in art. Card’s work gained national attention even before graduating from high school, landing him a scholarship to the School of Art at Washington University in St. Louis. Within a short time after graduation, Card had already developed a reputation as a master printer working for top photographers in New York City. By the age of 23, his own work was published in international magazines.

 

Card’s large-scale landscape photographic collages, entitled “Alone Together,” form the central focus of his most theoretical work. With this work, Card uses the single image as a mark playing with repetition, sequencing, context, and tonal values to create complex layers of coded meaning. By repeating the print images in collage form, the role of the singular image changes, no longer solely functioning as an isolated representation but rather a part of a larger meaning. The image continues to convey a singular meaning, but enhanced by a contextual meaning, further enhanced through sequencing and finally through repetition. The form and pattern emerge with balance and assigned values, all referencing historical norms, while playing with new context and symbols.

 

Card’s first book and multi-media show, “Tokyo Adorned,” explores the expression of individuality and self through intimate studio portraits of Tokyo’s fashion tribe members. Work from this sold-out book has been seen in multiple shows across the country. Tokyo Adorned received high praise from major media outlets, and Card was interviewed repeatedly regarding his process and experiences surrounding the book and the show.

 

Card has been featured in numerous international publications including American, German and French Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, the London Sunday Times, Vogue Gioiello and the New York Times Magazine. His sense of beauty, wit, and whimsy permeates his style of storytelling and can been seen in his collaboration on numerous advertising campaigns including Gucci, Ferragamo, Issey Miyake, Baume & Mercier, Marc Jacobs, Apple and more.