TalkTuesday 3 July 2018
11:00am – 12:30pm
The Power of Calligraphy
13/14 Cornwall Terrace, Outer Circle (entrance facing Regent's Park), London NW1 4QP
Organised by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation
The calligrapher and artist Misuzu Kosaka has produced striking, highly original art works that have been incorporated into book designs, restaurant decors and commemorated major events such as the Great Hanshin Earthquake. She has most recently enjoyed a residency at Whitestone Arts in Yorkshire, where she has worked on producing large-scale calligraphic works for a new stage show connecting Japan, the Brontes and Lafcadio Hearn.
In this session, her calligraphy works were first introduced and interpreted by the critic Damian Flanagan, who has collaborated with Misuzu on four books. Misuzu then gave a demonstration of her dynamic calligraphy in action and invited participants to pick up a brush, splash the ink and attempt to create beautiful calligraphy for themselves.
The event is from 11.00 am-12.30 pm.
About the contributors
Misuzu Kosaka
Misuzu Kosaka, a Tottori native and daughter of a poetry-loving Shinto priest, studied under Saisui Ishibashi, a kanji calligraphy master, and Yuri Sato, a kana calligraphy master. Today she is a director and instructor at the Calligraphy Education Society of Japan. Misuzu has pioneered innovative ways of using calligraphy in modern artworks through solo exhibitions, charity exhibitions and by presiding over her own workshop.
Damian Flanagan
Damian Flanagan is an award-winning author and translator who has published a number of books on Japanese literature. He has also written widely on Japanese politics, arts and society for publications including The Japan Times, the Asahi Shinbun, Newsweek and the Nihon Keizai Shinbun. Yukio Mishima is his latest book, published in October 2014. He lives in Manchester and Nishinomiya, Japan.