Japanese calligraphy (書道):

As a painter I always have been fascinated by any kind of artistic handwriting. So calligraphy was a good discipline for me! i have done some Arabic Calligraphy which is so interesting because it requires precise measures, especially ''Kufic calligraphy''.

The difference between Arabic and Japanese calligraphy is that when you try to practice 習字 (shuuji) you don't need to measure or to use tools such as a ruler or something for measuring!

However, you will use some number of tools to make a composition.There are four basics tools called ''Four Treasures of the Study'' (文房四宝 bunbō shihō) :

*A brush (筆 fude)

*An ink stick (墨 sumi).

The best ink-sticks are between 50 and 100 years old.

*Mulberry paper (和紙 washi).

*An ink-stone (硯 suzuri) to grind the ink-stick against, mixed with water.

This calligraphy is called ''Shodō'' in Japanese language and the term shodō (書道) is likely derived from Chinese origin as it is widely used to describe the art of Chinese calligraphy during the Chinese Tang dynasty period. Calligraphy had already been developed with a considerable progress since the time it arrived in Japan sometime around the sixth century, at approximately the same time that the Chinese system of writing (kanji) was also being imported.

From its roots in ancient Chinese civilization, Japanese calligraphy has continued to grow and develop in style and form representing just the latest stage in this evolution. In the course of this development, it has also had considerable influence on Western art, particularly on Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. This latter said that if he had been born Chinese, he would most likely have ended up a calligrapher rather than a painter.

In Japanese (Sho 書) means the calligraphy and (dō 道) means the way. How about the term 習字 (Shuuji)? well, I believe that it has the same meaning as (Shodo) .However, this art has a different names, depending on practicing it in our daily lives or not. So, I will refer to my practice as (Shuuji), which I think is more precise to name it.

There is nothing casual in Japanese calligraphy. The beginning, the direction, the form, the ending of lines and the balance between elements are important for each line and point. Moreover, even the empty space testifies about many things.

callegraphy1

shodou2

shodou

The hieroglyphs are more related with harmony, proportion and balance! So, all what i can say about it, is that it transfers harmony , beauty and thousand-year wisdom.

In japan, people of all ages have to learn the basics about Shodo. Indeed , all children learn the basics of calligraphy as part of their elementary school education.

Mainly, there are three writing styles :

• regular script (楷書 kaisho)

• semi-cursive (行書 gyōsho)

• cursive (草書 sōsho)

Most people don’t use kaisho in everyday life. However,for beginners (like me ^^), it's better to start with kaisho script because with other scripts the brush may leaves less the paper or never leave it.

Although, Kaisho may be a little hard if it will be your first time that you try it! But, with practicing, it becomes more easy and your hand will just follow the techniques naturally to make a beautiful composition.

Finally, I highly recommend you to try Japanese calligraphy! I'm sure you will like it ,especially if you're interested in Japanese katakana and kanji.

BENSAIDANE Zahra.

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