A Lively Opening: Celebrating Diversity in Contemporary Calligraphy
On Friday, July 19, 65 guests joined Pao Arts Center, Japan Society of Boston, and Korean Cultural Society of Boston to celebrate the opening of Inventive Brush: Calligraphic Echoes from China, Korea, and Japan, an exhibit curated by Brandeis Professor, Aida Yuen Wong. Showcasing the diversity of contemporary calligraphy, this latest exhibit featured the works of three Massachusetts-based artists, Mike Yuguo Mei, Michiko Imai, and YoungSun Jang.
“Breathing new life into ancient traditions, [each artist] demonstrates the vitality of calligraphy through contemporary expressions. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see the works of a Chinese, a Japanese, and a Korean calligrapher in the same space. The diversity of their approaches is sure to captivate viewers from diverse backgrounds and sensibilities”
Mike Mei (left) and YongSun Jang (middle) assist Michiko Imai in unrolling the scoll. Photo credit: Mel Taing
The evening began with a lively artist panel featuring the three exhibiting artists and moderated by Professor Wong. One highlight from the panel was when Michiko Imai described her “Women series,” a body of work that focuses on the female form. To illustrate the series, Imai brought a scroll, not on view in the exhibit, to share with the audience. This led to a sweet moment for the other two artists, Mei and Jang, to assist in holding it while Imai described her work.
“I made this more than 10 years ago and it remains one of my favorites in the series. A woman’s strength is from her back. I use the space inside the paper and the woman is not centered. In Japanese art, we often look at the center, but I use the space differently. Looks like water, more flowing. I want to show that women are strong from the back.”
The conversation about calligraphy was fascinating and had a depth that went far beyond the brushstroke, including discussing philosophical approaches to the artform and meaning making. YoungSun Jang, the Korean calligrapher and the youngest of the trio, shared via his wife and interpreter, Hannah Jang the following:
“The writing of calligraphy letters not only forms a meaning but they themselves have meaning. Each individual letter has artistic value, even if there is no specific meaning behind each letter. Art is ever growing and changing that moves forward and progresses.”
From left to right: Maia Erslev, YoungSun Jang, Mike Yuguo Mei, Michiko Imai, Professor Aida Yuen Wong. Photo credit: Mel Taing
After the panel discussion, guests mingled and connected with the artists and each other in the theater and in the gallery. Attendees were encouraged to try their hand at calligraphy and participate in our interactive exhibit wall responding to the question, “What surprises you about calligraphy?”
“I think what surprised me was that I think I have a very set image in my mind of what East Asian calligraphy is, but hearing that each of the artists from China, Japan, and Korea are actually taking calligraphy and turning it around its head and reinterpreting it on their own.”
Photo credit: Mel Taing
The Inventive Brush: Calligraphic Echoes from China, Japan, and Korea is a collaboration between Pao Arts Center, the Japan Society of Boston, and the Korean Cultural Society of Boston.
Related Programming
Exhibition Credits
Curated By: Professor Aida Yuen Wong
Artists: Mike Yuguo Mei, Michiko Imai, and YoungSun Jang
Installation: Diya Ghosh
Translations:
Chinese: FeiFei Shen
Japanese: Naoko Takayanagi
Korean: Lauren Woo
Our Partners
Japan Society of Boston
The Japan Society of Boston, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote cultural and economic ties and active interchange between Japanese and Americans for mutual understanding, business exchange, social connection, and friendship. We serve as a programming nexus for individuals, institutions, and businesses linked together by a strong interest in Japan and a shared recognition of the importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship.
Korean Cultural Society of Boston
Founded in October 2012, the Korean Cultural Society of Boston (KCSB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and provides opportunities for the Greater Boston area to learn and engage with arts, culture, and heritage of Korea while simultaneously empowering and promoting the Korean American community.