Shodo, or Japanese calligraphy, is the art of writing Japanese characters (kanji and kana) with a brush and ink. Literally, shodo means "the way of writing" and has a significant artistic component.

In Shodo there are several writing styles: kaisho, gyosho, sosho, etc. A distinction is made between traditional and modern writing. Even when it is the same letter, word, or verse, the way it is written results in very different works.

Concentration is a fundamental element of shodo for achieving a perfectly harmonious work of art by disconnecting from the daily grind. Shodo is not random; the shape of the lines and dots, their beginning, direction, and end are all very important.

Madoka Kubota , who will lead the workshop, has achieved the rank of Sixth Dan in Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) at the Nara Shodo School in Japan. She also holds a degree in Japanese philology, specializing in tanka , a 31-syllable poetry style originating from the Meiji Era.

Materials