It has been only a few weeks since culture was first being paused and placed on hold indefinitely. At the beginning, it seemed that the sense of community that had connected a calligrapher with her student collaborators  was unable to continue. Given this situation, the only option was to move classes online. 

But could that spirit of community exist in a virtual world? 

Calligraphy classes have always been anchored in a physical location. Students traveled to the classroom, whether at the cultural center, university, or at the studio to attend a class. And for a long time culture was understood  as something that happened in a space of gathering. But gathering is exactly what each of us was being asked to forego. 

The step into taking the classes online would reverse this equation. Instead of many students traveling to a class in one location, a class would travel out to many students, each in different private locations; living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms. It seemed unlikely that culture would survive such a dramatic change of environment.

But what happened next was incredibly surprising. 

Each student suspended their disbelief and took a chance. And, instead of finding the virtual class unreal and uninviting, I found that there was nothing more real than the sound of laughter and genuine collective spirit in the conversations. 

My student’s engagement in our virtual classes was astonishing. People joined with enthusiasm, and participated in the growth of calligraphy.  The calligraphy pieces you see here are the result of this participation. If ever there was doubt, my doubts were put aside, and I was reminded that art is resilient.  

This is a historic moment. We are maneuvering through great uncertainties. I now see that culture is not only dependent on a singular space. As long as people can come together and engage with each other, culture will survive and thrive.

This is an incredible moment for culture.

The collective participation of  individuals has never been more important. As the world shifts towards an uncertain future, I look forward to witnessing how art and its traditions will be carried into the future. We may plunge further into the unfamiliar, or gradually return to something recognizable. Come what may, I look forward to exploring this new world together through calligraphy.

Noriko Maeda, May 2020

 
 

Phyllis Armitage

Patricia Rodriguez

Gracia Murase

Ciara Collingbourne

Yuki Kato

Graham Sudbury

Masoud Jelokhani

Kyoko Imamura

Mayako Kobayashi

Kam Ying Chan

Kaori Okada

Isabella Stefanescu

Naoe Tsushima

Anna Au

Chako Hashimoto

Noriko Date

Dawn Maruno

Yoko Kobayashi

Kathy Okawara

Staniris Shikatani

Makoto Kawamura

Marie Ikeda

Neli Iordanova

Margaret Ishii

Doreen T. Oyagi

Yasuko Shimura

Yukiko Yabuta

Mariko Ikeda

Teresa Isaacs

Yumi Nakamura

Chieko Yuki

Gayle Taguchi

Mary Shimoda

Peter Wakayama

Denise Fujiwara

Junko Mifune

Shirley Okawa

Eduard Divantman

Rachel Shim

Paul Nakamura

Lea Hill

Yukiko Nakata

Victoria Kusano-Hamel

Boris Steipe

Yi Chen

Kimi Yano

Sue Chen

Susan Keene

Ryoko Yamamoto

Yumiko Miyamoto

Noriko Saito

Claude Ito

Asami Okusawa

Jennifer Chan

Willy Cheng

Makiko Noguchi

Steven James Murray

Carol Howe

Paul Jewett

Stuart Pollock

Momoyo Yoshida

Wolfgang Moeder

Donald Peters

Helen Kong

Sorlie Madox

Suzanne Thomsom

Kate Cherney

Ayumi Takai

Ichiki Yukako

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Nicole Tamir

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Sandy Lambert

Patti Simpson

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