How does the inspiration she receives during her travels inform her work? We spoke to Sisyu, who has just returned to Japan after a solo exhibition in Paris.
Text: Taisuke Shimanuki Photos: Nariko Nakamura
Training is necessary to understand the "beauty" of different cultures
JAL: Besides "clockwise" and "counterclockwise," are there any other differences in "usage" between the West and the East?
Sisyu: There is also linear symmetry and asymmetry in space. Traditional Japanese gardens are almost all asymmetrical, creating blank spaces, or "ma" (space), everywhere. In contrast, Western gardens and paintings are based on linear symmetry.
JAL: The famous Palace of Versailles also has beautiful symmetry.
Sishu: And "Ma". As you may often see in movies, Europeans often decorate the walls of their homes with family photos. Even in the Louvre, paintings are displayed on all sides, using the entire wall. That is the perfect "Ma" for them.
In contrast, in Japan, whether it be sliding door paintings or picture scrolls, the majority of the screen is left blank, with plants and animals often depicted in the corners. In order to help people understand this aesthetic sense, we need to repeatedly create things that they can "see" and gradually cultivate them to that level. I feel that we are still in the middle of that process.
JAL: It may not be said that we Japanese have a full understanding of the principles of Western painting.
Shishu: That's right. If we think about food, which is more familiar to us than art, for example, we can happily say "delicious!" about aged wine and blue cheese now that we are adults. If we had been given aged cheese as a child, we probably wouldn't have found it so delicious. For example, with wine, we start by trying a sweeter wine, or mix it with soda, and then we go through "opportunities to get used to it," and then we gradually become able to taste foods from different cultures.
In the same way, I think that sharing aesthetic sensibilities also requires "training." People in France in particular are now very interested in Japanese culture. They are also beginning to develop the palate and eyes to appreciate what is uniquely Japanese. I would like to do my best to help build a bridge to help people learn about and become interested in Japanese culture and calligraphy.
"Artists from all over the world want to go to Paris because the French have a great eye for art."
JAL: While your overseas exhibitions promote cultural exchange and understanding, what are your personal goals as an artist?
Sisyu: Of course I want to continue presenting my work overseas and at exhibitions, but right now I feel like I am heading to the next stage by engaging in inward activities such as confronting the "perfection of calligraphy" in addition to such outward activities.
JAL: What does that mean?
Sisyu: It is very difficult to control your consciousness even while writing one stroke. I think that you too may have regrets from the past or worries about the future while writing and distracting thoughts may arise. I always train myself to keep my consciousness, which tends to wander from place to place, within one stroke. The power that is put into a work created in this way is invisible to visible light, but I believe it is conveyed clearly.
JAL: While your overseas exhibitions promote cultural exchange and understanding, what are your personal goals as an artist?
Sisyu: Of course I want to continue presenting my work overseas and at exhibitions, but right now I feel like I am heading to the next stage by engaging in inward activities such as confronting the "perfection of calligraphy" in addition to such outward activities.
JAL: The work has strength.
Sisyu: It's true that you can write with momentum and create a work that looks beautiful. But if you stay conscious until the last brush hair leaves the paper, there's something clearly different about the calligraphy. It's not so much a matter of technique, but more a matter of persuasiveness. Even if you're technically inexperienced, a work that's filled with all your effort, passion, and the feelings you can pour into it at the time will reach people's hearts.
The calligraphy of Kukai, one of the three great calligraphers of Japan, is often described as "as if it could come to life at any moment." I believe that if we can learn to control our consciousness, we can create calligraphy that will remain relevant even after 1,000 years.
JAL: Is that something that can be conveyed to people overseas?
Shishu: I think that because we don't try to grasp the meaning of the words, it will be easier for people overseas to understand. People living in Italy and France are educated to appreciate art from a young age, see wonderful art in their daily lives, and accumulate rich and deep aesthetic experiences. And I think that this leads to a deep insight that allows them to see the essence of things.
That must be the reason why artists from all over the world want to go to Paris. It's not because of famous art museums like the Louvre or the Pompidou Center, but because the French people everywhere have such a keen eye for art, so artists can't help but be influenced by their aesthetic sense just by being in Paris. I've come to realize this now that I go to Paris often.
Keep your environment constant while traveling and control your consciousness
JAL: Perhaps it was your travels that led you to this understanding.
Shishu: When I first started going overseas, I couldn't compete at all. I feel like I'm starting to be able to do that little by little. To do that, I've started to try to keep myself in the same condition while traveling between Japan and overseas.
JAL: What kind of things are you talking about?
Sisyu's travel companions: From left, noise-canceling earphones, a small electric massager, an electric toothbrush, and an SEV necklace
Shishu: During the flight, I wear noise-canceling headphones to block out the noise of the flight. I also wear a SEV necklace and a small electric massager to improve my blood flow and balance, so I can relax as much as possible. I also bring my usual toothbrush and cosmetics.
JAL: You mentioned controlling your consciousness. These seem to be essential items for eliminating noise as much as possible and maintaining a sense of normalcy.
Sisyu: I think preparing the right environment is also an important part of creating a work.
Shishu, Calligrapher/Artist
His representative works include the NHK historical drama "Ryomaden", the art program "Bi no Tsubo", "Shukugo Sengu" at Ise Shrine, "JAPAN" at the Cabinet Secretariat, and Disney Pixar's "Kiyosagi Doh Hate Fear". In 2014, he became the first Japanese person to win two gold awards at the "French National Fine Arts Association Exhibition" held in the basement of the Louvre Museum in France, winning the gold award for calligraphy and the highest gold award for calligraphy and sculpture. The following year, he was selected as the "Guest of Honor Invited Artist", a slot reserved for one person in the world, at the same exhibition. He is the first living Japanese person to do so since Yokoyama Taikan. In 2017, the Emperor and Empress of Japan viewed the Sisyu exhibition at the Ehime Prefectural Museum of Art, and Sisyu himself guided the exhibition. He is promoting Japanese culture to the world by elevating the traditional Japanese culture of "calligraphy" into calligraphy, sculpture, and media art. He is posting information on Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube (common account name "sisyu8").
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
