Japan House is pleased to host a Japanese calligraphy (shodo) workshop featuring Fukushima artist Seiran Chiba as part of the Kogei: Traditional Arts and Crafts project. Guests will learn about the basics of Japanese calligraphy and practice writing with her guidance before creating their own masterpiece.
Shodo is the “the way of writing,” and it is also referred to as shuji, or calligraphy. Writing becomes elevated as an art form and means of expression through the study and practice of penmanship. Thus, the spirit of the brush becomes alive and reflects the kokoro (heart, mind, and spirit) of the artist. The Japanese writing system utilizes kanji, or Chinese characters, and a single ideogram can convey a concept or idea. Calligraphy can be used on materials beyond paper or canvas such as on ceramics. Looking closely, each stroke is deliberately executed to create an evocative and emotional message with just a few characters.
Reservations are required, no walk-ins or observers will be allowed due to limited space inside and the hands-on nature of the workshop. Guests will be provided with supplies but are asked to wear dark clothing that they don't mind getting ink on.
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Seiran Chiba is a world-renowned Japanese shodo (calligraphy) artist from Fukushima, Japan. Born in Tokyo, she now resides in Fukushima, and she is a Cultural Ambassador for the Fukushima Tourism Exchange. She is active as a traveling calligrapher, embarking on journeys such as the ‘Calligraphy Tour of All 59 Municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture’ and the ‘Japanese Calligraphy Journey.’ Since 2013, she has been conducting large-scale calligraphy demonstrations and workshops at overseas educational institutions. In 2020, she provided calligraphy for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic commemorative monument, and in 2024, she won the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award at the 2024 National Open Calligraphy Exhibition.
Chiba has a modern approach to large-scale calligraphy inspired by hope and peace through her performances. In Japan, she taught calligraphy to adults and children living in temporary housing that remained after the 2011 tsunami. Through calligraphy, she teaches the importance of expressing one’s feelings and travels all over Japan with her calligraphy brush to share the beauty and strength of the Fukushima people despite the continued hardships that they still incur. Chiba visited Japan House in 2013 and 2018 for demonstrations and workshops with the local, university, and K-12 communities. She was a featured artist for Japan House’s Matsuri in 2018. In 2023, Japan House received the Education Grant from the Japan Foundation New York to support Chiba for an artist residency to teach calligraphy in Urbana-Champaign and perform at Matsuri. Chiba returned in 2024 to host workshops in Urbana-Champaign and was the featured artist for Gardens for Peace at Japan House. She continues to make visits to the United States to share her story and that of Fukushima through performances and workshops at numerous organizations.
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Kogei (工芸) translates to traditional arts and crafts. Arts and crafts include disciplines such as ceramics, textiles, woodworking, lacquerware, papermaking, and other means of artistic expression that involve considerable understanding of traditional methods and techniques. Artisans hone their skills to create objects that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Kogei artists and their produced objects are valued for their rich history that reflect intangible cultural heritage spanning hundreds of years, as techniques and processes are passed down from generation to generation. A category of kogei is mingei, (民芸), which translates to “folk crafts,” and is formed from minshu (民衆), meaning common people, and kogei (工芸). Art critic and philosopher Soetsu Yanagi created this term and the mingei movement in the 1920/30s to distinguish the value of everyday items made for ordinary use for the common person.
The Kogei exhibition and programming are supported by the Japan Foundation New York through the U.S.-Japan Community Grassroots Exchange Program. Japan House is proud to highlight the traditional arts and crafts of Fukushima and feature the stories of Fukushima. This program is also partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Chiba is also a George A. Miller Visiting Artist supported by the Center for Advanced Study.