Toru Otani

Toru Otani creates his works on unconventional materials like the backside of sandpaper, empty cigarette packages and vintage maps. Many of the foundational materials used in his practice – such as prewar textbooks, used notes and postcards – are ...

Toru Otani creates his works on unconventional materials like the backside of sandpaper, empty cigarette packages and vintage maps. Many of the foundational materials used in his practice – such as prewar textbooks, used notes and postcards – are acquired from online auctions. Otani then uses colored pencils to erase and obscure any identifying marks on these chosen canvases, creating images akin to abandoned billboards.