Oborozuki

Oborozuki

Mar 29, 2023 | Performance

MIDDLEBURY, VT, March 29, 2023

— 朧月夜 [おぼろづきよ (oborodzukiyo)] “Spring night with a hazy moon”
The vertical writing is various words, denoting Spring and the circular area of writing in gold evokes the moon and contains two poems from 百人一首 [ひゃくにんいっしゅ (Hyakunin’isshu)] #33. #96. The translation is noted below.

1) 春光 [しゅんこう (Shunkou)] Spring sunlight

2) 東風 [こち (Kochi)] Spring wind

3) 鶯 [うぐいす (Uguisu)] Japanese bush warbler

4) 青柳 [あおやぎ (Aoyagi)] Green willow

5) 桜 [さくら (Sakura)] Cherry blossom

6) 朧月夜 [おぼろづきよ (Oborodzukiyo)] Spring night with a hazy moon

7) Moon part
From 百人一首 [ひゃくにんいっしゅ (hyakunin’isshu)] #33. #96

#33. 久方の　光のどけき　春の日に　しづ心なく　花の散るらむ / 紀友則
#33. Hisakata no Hikari nodokeki Haru no hi ni Shizukokoro naku Hana no chiru ramu / Ki no Tomonori / Genre: spring
* comparison
I’m wondering why cherry blossoms are going to fall in a flurry on such a day with sunlight calm and mild.

#96. 花さそふ　嵐の庭の　雪ならで　ふりゆくものは　我が身なりけり / 入道前大政大臣
#96. Hana sasou Arashi no niwa no Yuki nara de Furi-yuku mono wa Wa ga mi nari keri / Nyudo Saki no Daijodaijin / Genre: others
* pun: furiyuku = “fall” and “get old”
* comparison: “yuki” – “wa ga mi”
It is myself, not the cherry blossoms falling like snowing in the garden where the wild wind is scattering them, that is getting older.

Baryshnikov Arts Center

Baryshnikov Arts Center

Dec 20, 2019 | Performance

NYC, New York
— Baryshnikov Arts Center  NYC
Work-in-Progress
DEC 6 / FRI at 7PM + 9PM
Rudolf Nureyev Studio

Inspired by the moving meditation of East Asian calligraphy painting, composer/musician Phyllis Chen investigates the movements made by performance calligraphists: choreographed, efficient, and unfalteringly committed. This work-in-progress examines the intersection between traditional Shodo calligraphy performance and live music and is created in collaboration with shodo artist Masako Inkyo and choreographer/dancer Jodi Melnick

Connecticut College

Connecticut College

Feb 7, 2019 | Performance, Workshop

NEW LONDON, CT
— Connecticut College
I performed calligraphy based on Heike Monogatari (The Tale of Heike), an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180-1185).  The central theme of the story is the Buddhist law of impermanence (Mujo).  The calligraphy was performed on the floor on a 10 foot long sheet of Washi paper.

The workshops introduce the four basic styles Japanese calligraphy (Shodo): Kaisho (standard), Gyousho (running script), Sousho (cursive script) and Gendaisho (modern style).  Students try their hand at writing several characters in the Kaisho style.

 

ON LOVE at Brookfield Place NY

ON LOVE at Brookfield Place NY

Apr 24, 2018 | Event, Performance

NEW YORK, NY
— ON LOVE — The Art of Lines, Shapes & Symbols
Until Sunday 4/29
12AM–12AM
Winter Garden
Friday 4/20, 12:30PM: Calligraphy Performance with artist Masako Inkyo
For this calligraphy performance she painted a very large artwork on the floor in a vertical direction, with the characters reading from the top to the bottom of the paper.

In keeping with the theme “On Love” I have chosen eight related words.

真心 – Sincerity
勇気 – Courage
輝 – Sparkle
生命力 – Vitality
響 – Resonance
調和 – Harmony
情熱 – Passion
愛 – Love

The United Nations

The United Nations

Jun 16, 2017 | Event, Performance

Press

週刊NY生活

https://www.nyseikatsu.com

NHK News Web

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/

I had a calligraphy performance at the UN in a collaborative event with Sahoko Sato Timpone ( Mezzo-Soprano ) on Friday, June 16, at 1-3pm. This was the third event of “Peace is … ” and I selected the words “Peace is Unity “.

Part I: Waves (Blue Ink) Kana style

– Classical Japanese poem evoking images of ocean waves

Part II: Flow (Black Ink) Contemporary style

– Various kanji representing different aspects of the sea:  波 ( Wave ), 流動 ( Flow ), 風 ( Wind ),光 ( Light ), 影 ( Shadow ), 希望( Hope ),源( Origin )

Part III: Light and Wind (Gold Ink) Manyogana

– from the classical Japanese anthology of One Hundred Poems, which expresses love with metaphors relating to nature.

After the performance, guests wrote their messages of peace in their respective mother languages on Japanese “washi” paper and on stones/seashells which will be thrown onto the “paper ocean”.

I felt peace when I taught my first calligraphy class. There my student brought his grandmother, as the lesson was for her birthday. Since English was not a native language for either of us, our way of communicating was through calligraphy. She wanted to write ” love” for her grandson as a sign of appreciation. So I took her hand and guided her through the movements.

This is how I teach with unity and why it means peace to me.

The United Nations “Peace is… Unity”

The United Nations “Peace is… Unity”

Jun 11, 2017 | Event, Performance

I will be performing at the United Nations on Friday, June 16, 2017, 2-3pm at the UN Visitor’s Lobby. This will be a collaborative performance with Sahoko Sato Timpone (Mezzo-soprano). The overarching theme of this series of events is Peace. This month’s theme, within that, is “Sea and Wind”.  I hope that you will be able to enjoy the opportunity to participate in this event by writing what peace means to you on a shell or a pebble, and placing it on the washi paper that I will be writing on for the performance.