墨絵&日本画 梨水

Sumi-e (ink painting) is a beautiful Japanese traditional art; the art of monochrome which is expressed all the colors through the gradients of shading created by only one black ink. Getting ready for sumi-e is like a meditation ceremony for enter the world of its art: the aromatic scent of the ink; the smooth grinding of the ink stick on its stone; the gentle mutter of circular motion: Everything in sumi-e soothes the soul! It is a calm time reminiscent of zen that invites us to the Japanese mind. Sumi-e is quite different from other arts. The ink seems to have a mind of its own on Japanese paper; even if the shading seems perfect when the paper is wet, it blurs and fades unpredictably when it is dried. Good weather is needed for beautiful paintings because Japanese paper moisturizes easily; when the humidity is high, the color of ink cannot be clear. It can be said that sumi-e cannot be perfected without the co-operation of nature. It is sensitive and never easy, but that’s why I have been fascinated by it for such a long time.


Spring haze 2014 (475*340)

Calligraphy is another beautiful art of Japan and it is inseparable from sumi-e; calligraphy is the expression of kanji (Chinese characters) and kana (Japanese characters) but it is drawn with artistic styles that have come down over many centuries. Calligraphy is beautiful itself, but it also helps to develop techniques that are needed to achieve deep and rich expression in sumi-e.


The oldest literature Kojiki drawn in the oldest type of Kanji


A poem of the 12th century drawn in Kana