ASIA
Zen Calligraphy and Painting by Yamaoka Tesshū
Yamaoka Tesshū, Mount Fuji, Pines and Two Figures, © Hitsuzendo
3 September - 14 December 2008
Room 45, Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art
Admission free
This display of Zen calligraphy marks the 120th anniversary of the death of the Japanese statesman and master swordsman Yamaoka Tesshū.
Tesshū is famous for his statement that swordsmanship, Zen and calligraphy are identical in their aspiration to the state of no-mind (mushin). This view of calligraphy, which has its origins in China, sees it as a ‘picture of the mind’.
Featuring twenty-two magnificent hanging scrolls, the display includes works by the two of his contemporaries - Katsu Kaishū (1823 - 1899), one of Japan’s first internationalists, and Takahashi Deishū (1835 - 1903), a Zen statesman who retired from public life to devote himself to calligraphy. The display also features the work of the late Professor Terayama Tanchū (1938 - 2007), the second-generation master of Hitsuzendō (The Way of the Zen Brush), who was an authority on Tesshū and from whose posthumous private collection this exhibition is drawn.
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What is Zen calligraphy?
According to the Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitarō (1870–1945), true creativity is not the product of conscious effort but rather the ‘phenomenon of life itself’. True creation arises from mushin, or the state of ‘no-mind’, which lies beyond thoughts, emotions and expectations.
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Yamaoka Tesshū: the transformation of his calligraphy
2008 marks the 120th anniversary of the death of Yamaoka Tesshū (1836–1888). He was born in Edo (modern Tokyo) as the son of Ono Takatomi, a retainer of the Tokugawa shogunate, and later adopted the Yamaoka name through marriage.
More on Yamaoka Tesshū: the transformation of his calligraphy
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The Three Shū of the Bakumatsu Era
The three shū of the Bakumatsu (late Tokugawa) era were Yamaoka Tesshū, Katsu Kaishū (1823–99) and Takahashi Deishū (1835–1903). Each took the character shū, or ‘boat’, as the second element of their formal layman name. All three were deeply versed in the Chinese classics, calligraphy, poetry and the martial arts.
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The Way of the Zen Brush – Hitsuzendō
Hitsuzendō has its origins in the declaration made by Tesshū that swordsmanship, Zen and calligraphy are identical in their aspiration to the state of ‘no-mind’. Put simply, hitsuzendō is the practice of Zen through writing with the brush.
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Demonstrations & Workshops
Two demonstrations and a workshop accompany the exhibition. Meet expert practitioners of the art, listen to the talks, watch the demonstrations and try your hand at Zen calligraphy.
The display was born out of Professor Terayama's hopes and wishes to bring Hitsuzendō to as wide an audience as possible. While it was originally conceived to mark the 120th anniversary of the death of Yamaoka Tesshū, it is also a memorial to Professor Terayama's scholarship and his vision of the Zen arts.
The V&A is grateful to the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and the the Japan Foundation for the support they have given towards these events, which form part of Japan - UK 150. It is also deeply indebted to Mrs Terayama Yō and members of the Hitsuzenkai (Society for the Way of the Zen Brush), without whose unstinting generosity and commitment these events would not have been possible.