Echoes of Self is Ton Schless’s seven-chapter exploration of memory, identity, and the passage of time in pursuit of his Ikigai, a Japanese concept meaning life’s purpose. Created using a 4×5″ large-format camera and the 1800s hand-coated dry plate technique on glass, the series of self-portraits employs natural metaphors to construct a deeply introspective narrative. Each chapter, ranging from Travel Memories and Whispers of Dreams to Silent Horizons and The Pulse of Nature, reveals a distinct facet of Schless’s evolving identity and the persistent echoes of his past.
Central to the work is the physical and philosophical engagement with imperfection. The bubbles, streaks, and light leaks inherent in the dry plate process become visual metaphors for the fragility of memory and the unpredictability of life. Schless’s slow, deliberate methodology mirrors the act of reflection itself, inviting viewers into a quiet space of contemplation.
Using ISO-2 plates sensitive only to ultraviolet and blue light, the photographs embody both uncertainty and discovery. By fusing process, metaphor, and performance, Schless offers a body of work that transcends autobiography, inviting viewers to explore their Ikigai within his meditative landscapes.
Echoes of Self will be presented in a series of chapters of 10 – 20 photos each:
Echoes of Self – Travel Memories
Echoes of Self – Whispers of Dreams
Echoes of Self – Ties that Bind
Echoes of Self – Silent Horizons
Echoes of Self – Traces of Belonging
Echoes of Self – Reflection of Tomorrow
Echoes of Self – The Pulse of Nature
In Silent Horizons, a chapter of the larger Echoes of Self project, Ton Schless presents a meditative body of self-portraiture that examines the intersection of identity, memory, and the temporal experience of being. Created through the historical 4×5-inch dry plate process, these images utilize the landscape as a reflective surface, one that mirrors the artist’s ongoing search for Ikigai. This Japanese concept embodies life’s purpose and meaning.
The series invites engagement through its rich layering of metaphors. Each portrait is set in an expansive natural environment where stillness becomes a site for introspection and transformation. Schless’s use of light, gesture, and elemental textures emphasizes the subtle emotional terrain navigated within each frame. The horizon functions not as a destination but as a liminal space, where the boundaries between self and environment blur, and where inner contemplation meets outer expanse.
Silent Horizons presents viewers with a cohesive and conceptually rigorous project that possesses both visual and emotional resonance. Its themes of quiet resilience, existential reflection, and personal mythology create fertile ground for dialogue about identity and temporality in contemporary photographic practice in search of Ikigai
In the “Ties that Bind” chapter, Ton Schless presents a series of self-portraits that investigate the unseen forces shaping identity, memory, and the passage of time. Working with the performative possibilities of the photographic medium, Schless explores his search for ikigai, a deep-rooted Japanese concept of life’s purpose that serves as both an anchor and a compass in a shifting world.
Each image is constructed through deliberate physical engagement, placing the artist’s body within natural landscapes that serve as both metaphor and stage. Gestures, shadows, and the interplay of stillness and motion form a visual language that facilitates internal transformation. These compositions transcend self-representation, presenting a layered narrative of vulnerability, endurance, and quiet renewal.
Schless’s work engages with the broader discourse on self-portraiture and environmental context, making “Ties that Bind” well-suited for exhibitions examining identity, time-based practice, and the intersection of the human and natural worlds. This series invites dialogue about how personal mythology and embodied experience reflect universal human themes, connection, grounding, and meaning, within the contemporary condition, inviting the viewer to contemplate their Ikigai.
In “Whispers of Dreams,” I explore the delicate echoes of our nocturnal reveries—the transient, often elusive memories of dreams that gently fade with the morning light. Through a series of introspective self-portraits, this chapter delves into the interplay between our inner visions’ vivid, ephemeral nature and the quiet reality of waking life.
Each image serves as a visual meditation on how dreams shape our identity, infusing us with inspiration even as their details blur over time. The soft, nearly imperceptible traces of
these dreamscapes invite viewers to reconnect with those fleeting moments of clarity and wonder, reminding us that even the most transient images hold deep reservoirs of meaning and purpose.
“Whispers of Dreams” is an invitation to honor the subtle power of our inner lives—a celebration of the memories that guide us, shape our ikigai, and continue to resonate long after the dream has faded.
In “Travel Memories,” I explore the rich tapestry of experiences woven throughout a lifetime of business journeys. This chapter reflects on the intersection of professional ambition and personal discovery, where each trip serves as a narrative thread in the broader fabric of my identity. Through self-portraits set against diverse landscapes—from bustling urban centers to serene moments of solitude—I capture the duality of travel: the relentless pursuit of opportunity and the quiet moments of reflection that ensue.
These images meditate on movement and memory, evoking the bittersweet allure of transient connections and the lasting imprints they leave on our sense of self. In navigating diverse cultures, environments, and challenges, I have come to see travel not merely as a means to an end but as an ongoing dialogue between ambition and introspection—a continual redefinition of purpose and identity.
“Travel Memories” invites viewers to reflect on how our professional paths, with all their inherent risks and rewards, ultimately enrich our personal narratives. It celebrates the journeys that have shaped me, serves as a visual record of the many crossroads where business and life converge, and pays homage to the transformative power of travel.
