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Ruth A. Mora "The Colours are Inside"
Midori.so Bakuroyokoyama 
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Ruth A. Mora（SUMOfc）
This April, MIDORI.so Studio welcomed Canadian–Latin American artist Ruth A. Mora (SUMOfc) as part of our pilot Artist Residency Program, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.
SUMOfc’s multidisciplinary practice bridges art, architecture, and urban design, focusing on the human adaptive condition to place, and exploring themes of transformation, identity, and cultural exchange. During her one-month residency, Mora explores identity as a dynamic process, shaped by her lived experiences of immigration and navigating diverse cultural contexts. Through symbolic references to plants, nature, and anatomical imagery, her work emphasizes subtlety and the evocative power of the unfinished. Layered and fragmented forms invite multiple interpretations, reflecting the tension between visible and hidden aspects of identity, adaptation, and cross-cultural dialogue—bridging both Western and Eastern perspectives.
The Colours are Inside, is inspired by Meiji-period kimonos—an era marked by Japan’s rapid Westernization and the resulting, often subtle, shifts in tradition. During this time, some formal kimonos featured subdued outer layers, while their intricate decorative elements were hidden within the inner lining or confined to the garment’s right-side lining, rendering them nearly invisible when worn. This discreet blending of cultural heritage with emerging influences functioned as a quiet act of resistance.
This often-overlooked historical detail becomes a powerful metaphor for exploring themes of identity, cultural displacement, and exchange, and it informs the title of the exhibition. The body of work reflects on how cultural expression can be shaped, obscured, or redefined by external pressures, while also honoring the resilience of identity through hidden layers of meaning and reinterpretation.
The exhibition will feature a series of works inspired by this concept.
[Related Events]
Opening Reception & Discussion Panel
Date: May 10 (Sat) 18:00-21:00
Admission: Free
SUMOfc’s multidisciplinary practice bridges art, architecture, and urban design, focusing on the human adaptive condition to place, and exploring themes of transformation, identity, and cultural exchange. During her one-month residency, Mora explores identity as a dynamic process, shaped by her lived experiences of immigration and navigating diverse cultural contexts. Through symbolic references to plants, nature, and anatomical imagery, her work emphasizes subtlety and the evocative power of the unfinished. Layered and fragmented forms invite multiple interpretations, reflecting the tension between visible and hidden aspects of identity, adaptation, and cross-cultural dialogue—bridging both Western and Eastern perspectives.
The Colours are Inside, is inspired by Meiji-period kimonos—an era marked by Japan’s rapid Westernization and the resulting, often subtle, shifts in tradition. During this time, some formal kimonos featured subdued outer layers, while their intricate decorative elements were hidden within the inner lining or confined to the garment’s right-side lining, rendering them nearly invisible when worn. This discreet blending of cultural heritage with emerging influences functioned as a quiet act of resistance.
This often-overlooked historical detail becomes a powerful metaphor for exploring themes of identity, cultural displacement, and exchange, and it informs the title of the exhibition. The body of work reflects on how cultural expression can be shaped, obscured, or redefined by external pressures, while also honoring the resilience of identity through hidden layers of meaning and reinterpretation.
The exhibition will feature a series of works inspired by this concept.
[Related Events]
Opening Reception & Discussion Panel
Date: May 10 (Sat) 18:00-21:00
Admission: Free
Schedule | May 10 (Sat) 2025-May 18 (Sun) 2025 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Free | ||
| Venue | Midori.so Bakuroyokoyama https://midori.so/  | ||
| Location | MIDORI.so 6F / 7F, 5-13 Nihombashi Yokoyamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0003 | ||
| Access | 1 minute walk from exit A1 at Bakuro-yokoyama Station on the Toei Shinjuku line, 1 minute walk from exit B4 at Higashi-nihombashi Station on the Toei Asakusa line, 2 minute walk from exit 3 at Bakurocho Station on the JR Sobu line. | ||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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