The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito is an international traveling exhibition of Japanese Buddhist art. The exhibition features the many media used by Shinjo Ito including photography, calligraphy and sculpture. Shinjo Ito combined his love of traditional art with his role as founder of Shinnyo, a Buddhist order, to produce his unique body of work. His style is consistently modern but deeply rooted in the tradition of Japanese Buddhist art.

Traveling until 2012, the exhibit hopes to visit France, Italy, Australia, and China after leaving the United States. The tour began in Japan in 2006. Along with the exhibit itself, many events sponsored by Shinnyo-en and its affiliates have accompanied the exhibit. From academic lectures by Robert Thurman and Margaret Miles to simply fun activities like a chocolate tasting, there have been few dull moments. There is something for everyone from practicing Buddhists to casual observers interested in learning more about Japanese art.

While the subject of the art is Buddhist, the work itself does not promote any specific creed or doctrine. It was Shinjo Ito’s belief that regardless of an individual’s religion or belief system, all sentient beings possess an inherent “buddha nature” (enlightened self). His art works were attempts to reveal buddha nature to the viewer through the form of beautiful images and are now being shared with the world through the leadership of his daughter, Her Holiness Shinso Ito. The producer of the exhibit, Hiroko Sakomura put it most succinctly: “Don’t try to interpret everything but let the art speak for itself. Let it reveal itself to you.”