Tosei Shinabe

Trained at Kyoto’s oldest Zen temple, Tosei Shinabe now dedicates his practice to sharing zazen beyond temple walls and bringing it into everyday life, making it accessible to all. For him, zazen - a form of seated meditation - is not a fixed teaching, but a living discipline, a direct experience of reality that invites us to broaden our perspective.

In Japan, Zen philosophy has long nurtured a deep respect for nature and a desire to live in harmony with it. To convey this spirit, Tosei Shinabe creates Za Kekkai stones, inspired by those traditionally found in temple gardens, where they mark the threshold between the physical and spiritual worlds.

On Awaji Island - considered the mythological birthplace of Japan - he selects each stone for the silent strength of its raw form. He then hand-braids a hemp of rare quaity - traditionally used for sacred shimenawa ropes in Shinto tradition - and encircles each stone through a gesture close to ritual.

These stones become quiet portals into Zen philosophy.

They invite moments of pause, contemplation and greater awareness of one’s surroundings. His meditative works create a space where matter and spirit meet, allowing us to fully inhabit the present moment.

Further information and selected exhibitions available upon request.