“Shodo” - the way of writing

The Japanese word for “calligraphy” is “shodo” which means the way of writing. All Japanese arts which improve the personality end on “do” – “way”: kendō – way of the sword, sado – the way of tea, shodo – the way of writing. The ancient masters realized the repeated using of the canonic motions leads to the attainment of Truth, harmony of existence, and through this attainment to the enlightenment of consciousness. Not by a chance the best calligraphers in China and Japan were worshiped as sages. Today’s Japan has made calligraphy a compulsory subject in schools. There many schools and styles of calligraphy which long ago passed the limits of a merely Japanese art and became international. Looking at Europe which is charmed with hieroglyphics and uses the principles of Japanese calligraphy, Japan now turns to Latin and Cyrillic alphabet, Arabic numbers and abstract painting. We have organized many exhibitions on Japanese calligraphy, and at all these events many people called to us to ask: “What does it means?”. Very often a symbol written on parchment does not resemble any hieroglyph, or these symbols are written roughly as if carelessly. Masters say: “You don’t have to find any definite meaning in a written symbol. You don’t have to know the Japanese language. What really matters is the line and rhythm that reflect the state of mind of the artist”. I believe the visitors will be able to understand and feel the beauty of a symbol and will be happy to see the works of the best world calligraphers.

Marina Golomidova