This week I got the chance to learn more about caligraphy. From Japanese masters! ^^ I was so happy when I got message about caligraphy workshops and exhibition in Torun. I love this kind of art. I was so impressed of workshops and even more impressed of the caligraphy show and exhibition. I just took only few photos - most time I spent for training (during workshops) and observing (during exhibition), I wanted learn as much as I can. Anyway I will post some nice photos and write about my impressions.
Firstly, I will write about the beginning of my experience with caligraphy.
In summer 2011 I bought a books about caligraphy and caligraphy set. And started training, unfortunately there was nobody who can teach me. Most caligraphy masters live in Japan or China, it is so far away from Poland. So I gave up studying it after few months - "why I am doing it, when there are so many people who are much better than me because they are training since childhood, I should spend my time for my old passions in which I am already good" -that was what I was thinking about it. This summer I decided go back to my quite new passion - caligraphy perfectly calm my nerves, I had stressful time during this summer holidays. In October, when I came to Torun for studying on my university i didn't bring my caligraphy set, I wasn't sure if I will have enough place for training (I live in dormitory in not very big room with two other girls) and enough time.
My first chance to be taught by Japanese master was in 21 May 2011, when I attended Go tournament, during the day promoting Japanese culture in Warsaw. There was a Japanese woman who were writing the names for people. I asked her - please give me a chance to try and write something too.
She showed me how to write ai - which means love,
the effect is here:
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| My first caligraphy(on the right side), 21 May 2011 |
My second chance to learn from masters was in 18 and 19 October this year! In Thursday I was in caligraphy workshops in The Star House (museum with asian art). That was great experience!
Japanese masters took about caligraphy and later helped with writing kanji for students who came. There was a lot of Japanese masters, I didn't count but over 10, most of them talking only in Japanese, there was a woman who was translating to Polish, but when they talk personally to me I didn't understand it at all, I've been learning this language for one year, but still can't talk well and understand just some words...Sadly, I learn languages very slowly, but I want to learn Japanese and Mandarin Chinese...especially I love the kanji, that is the reason why I don't learn for example Korean language.
Coming back to main subject, during the workshops I had also a chance to take part in Japanese tea ceremony and try Japanese sweets, it was really delicious. And first time I wrote on Japanese fan:
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| Fan with phoenix and my name |
When everybody ended writing on fans, there was the time for presentation. Our teachers told to everyone many kind words about our works, only good things. That was really nice, because students were doing their best and everyone but a lot of heart in work.
But I hope to hear also some criticism, because I want to upgrade my skills and study more!
All fans will go to Japan for exhibition.
Next day I came to workshops for students of Japanology, I am not one of them but I have a lot of friends amongs them. I felt a bit guilty that I took advantage maybe too much, because I came for second time and got a good place closer to teachers(on Japanalogy faculty in the classroom, there was not so comfortable to teach and be taught like it was in museum, the day before), so after some time I exchanged my place with girl near me and she got also a lot of teaching from great masters. And I prepared my second caligraphy on fan- with dragon, my good friend said, that it was better than my phoenix, unfortunately I don't have photo of it, but someone were talking photos for everyone with fan, so hope I will see it one day :)
There was also presentation after everyone finished, and everyone did a good job and heard nice words from Japanese sensei.
And finally, Friday evening I spent in museum, watching vernissage of exhibition with Japanese fans made by masters. That was so beautiful and amazing. Not only fans were so interesting, but there were also the show - Japanese masters, were writing caligraphy, I had a chance to see how to make a piece of art. I really admired the skill and also their power - they wasn't young people, it was evening after tiring day and they have still a lot of power to create great caligraphy!
Time for some photos (I didn't take for every showing caligraphy, I wanted to watched everything carefully and I was too tired ...)
So, time to end my tooo long post.
What I want to say again to those all awesome masters who taught me during two days:
ありがとうございます!
