100 Voices — Gently Unfolding Inner Voices through Poetry, Film & Photography (Mental Health × Art)

| 100 Voices — Weaving the Inner Voices of the Heart

“To keep questioning—that may be our most human strength.”

— Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

I am currently creating an art project that gives form to this heart that keeps questioning.

It is the mental health × art project “Who Am I?” by TOMOKO.

Within this project lies a series I began in 2021 —

that is “100 Voices.”

Through poetry, film, and photography, this series expresses the inner monologues —

the mental dialogues — of one hundred individuals.

| Every Voice, a Story

While each “voice” is fictional, the works are inspired by real conversations, interviews, personal experiences,
and anonymous messages shared from the heart. Each piece is woven with care — emotion by emotion, moment by moment.

In psychology, it is said that we understand ourselves through stories — Narrative Psychology (Bruner, 1990).

“100 Voices” invites each viewer to meet the work as a mirror, gently reflecting one’s own emotions and inner world.

While each piece tells a singular story,

together they form a tapestry of the human heart —

where fragments of feeling resonate like a quiet symphony of shared humanity.

| An Exhibition of Reflection and Dialogue (Tokyo, 2021)

The early works of this series were first exhibited in 2021 at ABG Gallery, Tokyo.

The themes were:

“In a world without color, what do you imagine?”

“In an age of information overflow, what do you truly feel, what do you believe?”

Monochrome photographs printed on canvas — the kind used for oil painting — were displayed in stillness.

When visitors scanned the QR codes with their phones, poetry, sound, and moving images quietly overlapped,

gently knocking at the door of the heart and guiding them into reflection.

Each visitor engaged at their own pace, in their own way —

as if traveling through the inner landscape of their own mind.

| Sensing Imagination — Its Capacity, Its Joy

In the exhibition space, the sounds of a heartbeat and fetal movement filled the background,

creating a multisensory design where sight, sound, scent, and language intertwined.

To lower the filters of knowledge and information — and simply feel.

This act of connecting with one’s inner experience

resonates with a modern therapeutic approach known as Mentalization —

the ability to imagine the inner states of oneself and others.

At the back of the gallery, projections of the sea, sky, and earth created a space for quiet reflection,

where visitors could pause, meditate, and reconnect with their hearts.

| Project Theme Song “Who Am I?” — Tracing Emotion and Scent

At the opening event, the project’s theme song “Who Am I?” was premiered.

Unspoken feelings from deep within slowly filled the room with sound,

and in the quiet space between words and music, we shared a gentle stillness.

Each visitor received a small bottle of aroma oil — the same scent used in the exhibition — and a message card.

It is said that scent is the key to memory.

I hoped that in some ordinary moment, with a single breath,

that scent would awaken a moment of self-reflection and bring the experience back.

This idea is grounded in neuroscience — research by Herz & Engen (1996) showing that scent can vividly trigger emotional memory.

It was an experiment in creating an art experience that continues to live quietly within the body.

| Now, in Quebec — Expanding the Horizon

In the autumn of 2025, I am spending time in Quebec City, Canada.

Amid the bilingual rhythm of English and French, and surrounded by nature and silence,

I am gathering new voices and poems that are gently taking shape.

The solitude, the light, and the air I encounter here

will soon be woven into the evolving narrative of “100 Voices.”

| In Closing

Every heart carries a sound that cannot be spoken.

Through poetry and art, I wish to hold those subtle resonances,

and share them with someone unseen.

That is what “100 Voices” is — a project of quiet connection, listening, and empathy.

May one of these voices someday find its way to you.

✍ TOMOKO | Mental Health × Art × Self Care
📍 Currently in Quebec City, Canada

| Archive Video (2021 | Tokyo) — The Beginning of “100 Voices”

A short preview film shown during the first Tokyo exhibition.

The first breath of 100 Voices.

On Instagram, I share moments when the heart gently unravels through poetry and photography,

along with small reflections and mindful practices for daily self-care.

▶ @whoami_bytomoko