ART | Kakiuchi Koni's "The Way of Calligraphy 'Paa!" Exhibition

ART│An Artist Who Freely Navigates the Realms of Calligraphy and Contemporary Art

Koji Kakinuma's "The Way of Calligraphy: 'Paaah!'" Exhibition Opens at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa

Calligrapher Koji Kakinuma (born 1970) is known as an artist who has elevated calligraphy into contemporary art. "The Way of Calligraphy: 'Paaah!'", an exhibition that introduces the full scope of his work, opens on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, and runs until Sunday, March 2, 2014.

Text by YANAKA Tomomi

Considering "What is Calligraphy?" Through Kakinuma's Works

Koji Kakinuma was born in 1970. He began wielding a brush at the age of five, studying under his father, Kōryū Kakinuma, as well as Ukikyō Teshima and Ichijō Uematsu. Driven by the question, "Is calligraphy art? Am I an artist?", he has continuously challenged himself to explore new frontiers of calligraphy that transcend existing forms.

Among contemporary calligraphers, Kakinuma has consistently created works with a strong awareness of calligraphy's history, engaging with the present day. His contemporary expressions, which traverse calligraphy, contemporary art, and even subculture—through practices like "Rinsho" (copying the works of past masters and contemporary calligraphers) and installations that develop calligraphy spatially and temporally on a grand scale—have captivated many.

This exhibition, held to convey "What is calligraphy?" and "The appeal of calligraphy in the modern era" through his work, features approximately 700 pieces ranging from his late 1990s works to his latest masterpieces. The venue will display early works such as "One," as well as pieces born from dialogues with past masters and contemporaries. Furthermore, the exhibition encompasses Kakinuma's artistic world, including large-scale installations created for this occasion and past monumental works.

Through countless repetitions of writing, a moment arrives when "mind, technique, and body" align, giving birth to a masterpiece. These free-spirited works, born from the unrepeatable nature of a single moment and imbued with tension, connect "now" and "here," embodying the "way of calligraphy" for a new era.

Koji Kakinuma: "The Way of Calligraphy: 'Paaah!'"
Exhibition Dates: Saturday, November 23, 2013 – Sunday, March 2, 2014
Closed Mondays, and December 29 – January 1. Open on national holidays, with the following Tuesday closed.
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 (Fridays and Saturdays until 20:00)
Venue: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
1-2-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture
Tel. 076-220-2800
Admission: General ¥1000, University Students/Seniors (65+) ¥800, Elementary/Middle/High School Students ¥400