works concept

Calligraphy is said to be ``an art that uses letters as its material'' or ``an art that aesthetically expresses letters.'' In other words, calligraphy is something that gives life to characters, which are nothing more than codes, by applying artistic will. There, artist Hiro Watanabe expresses a variety of sensations and images based on his philosophy of beauty. Hiroko Watanabe's calligraphy works honestly express her humanity, reflecting her way of life, thoughts, and personality. Hiroko Watanabe's modern calligraphy asks both the writer and the viewer about how to live as a human being and what Japanese beauty is.

A work of calligraphy is a trajectory of life, and the spirit of the artist is concentrated in it. Encountering a work is a life-changing encounter with the artist. It's up to you whether you look at it intuitively or analytically. One way is to grasp the basic elements that make up calligraphy, such as the beauty of form, beauty of line quality, sense of rhythm, sense of force, and white space. Hiroko Watanabe's works are characterized by strong, thick lines, pale, gentle lines, and surfaces made with thin ink. This tense balance conveys Japan's ``wabi-sabi'' spirit, while at the same time encapsulating the beauty of the future that Japanese art should move toward with confidence.

First, face the work, keep a sufficient distance, and look at the whole thing. I looked at the overall composition, such as the balance of black and white, the harmony of letters and space, the sparseness and density of the letterforms, and the changes in weight and weight, and then looked at the lines, thick and thin, direction, and fluidity. I think it's important to feel it.

Hiroko Watanabe creates works using tools and materials from the Tokai region of Japan. Suzuka ink (rare ink that is the only ink in Japan to be certified as a traditional craft exhibit), Toyohashi brushes, Mino washi, Shinjo inkstones, Nishio mica, etc. I hope you will understand the deep meaning of creating works using rare craft tools made in the place where you were born and raised.

Thank you.

渡部裕子　hiroko watanabe

2024