Creativity, imagination and a poetic mind-set
"Using himself as a tool, abstract Japanese calligraphy artist Masahiko Nakayama creates meditative black and grey-toned forms which express the world around him. Although an “advanced” calligrapher with strong technique, Nakayama’s approach to his work is completely unconventional. Rather than simply use the standard calligraphy brush he will often experiment by substituting “tools” from nature such as a tree branch or blade of grass, to form his characters. Because these tools don’t allow the use of traditional techniques, the forms are more simplistic and prone to chance. It is this element of chance and the deeper meanings found in nature, which highly interest Nakayama and provide the philosophy behind his work.
The theme of this exhibition is “connections”. It refers to the connection between our thoughts and feelings, between human beings and the universe and between one another. To communicate this connection Nakayama uses the ripples of water and rain as his metaphor. In addition to the hanging scrolls adorning the walls, the space will be filled with handcrafted Japanese umbrellas and white cylindrical shapes decorated with Nakayama’s abstract forms."
This exhibition is at The Japan Foundation, Level 1, Chifley Plaza, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney.
I went to the exhibition last Thursday. It was really interesting. I liked the layering of calligraphy with collage and the 'nature' theme in Masahiko Nakayama's work.
W: http://www.jpf.org.au/02_events/synapse/synapse.htm
Masahiko Nakayama's website: http://www.geocities.jp/studiomasart/web/entrance.html
