Their Majesties View SISYU’s Works in Ehime

I had the honor of meeting Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress.

The Imperial Household Agency told me that it is extremely rare for Their Majesties to view an exhibition by a living artist whose reputation is still evolving, and rarer still for the artist to guide them personally through the work. I am deeply grateful for this extraordinary opportunity.

At the SISYU exhibition, Their Majesties first showed interest in Calligraphic Cubism, in which calligraphy is released from the flat plane and from convention to become three-dimensional. Her Majesty asked whether they might walk around the works, and together they studied the characters from the sides and the back. They especially enjoyed the sculptures for “Fragrance,” “Water,” “Wind,” “Wisteria,” and “Dance,” and asked me to explain them.

They asked whether using the shadows cast by calligraphic sculptures was a world-first approach and kindly celebrated the Gold Awards received at the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts at the Carrousel du Louvre. Her Majesty smiled as she observed that the sculpture “Good Morning” looked truly cheerful, while “I Am Sorry” appeared genuinely apologetic.

Her Majesty also showed great interest in the paintings of the phoenix, the wind god, and the thunder god. Before a folding-screen work on which the shadow of a calligraphic sculpture falls, Their Majesties stepped much closer than planned. They recognized that the character on the screen was a shadow and remarked on the care required in positioning the light.

They viewed all of the calligraphic works as well. They spoke about the many horizontal strokes in “Unbowed,” which made the character appear to be running, and read “Words for Joyful and Difficult Times” closely. Her Majesty called “The Flower That Is You” beautiful, bringing smiles to both of Their Majesties.

After the tour, I was kindly invited to share tea with Their Majesties in another room. They asked many questions, and His Majesty mentioned that Her Majesty also practiced calligraphy. She held my favorite brush with affection and asked in detail how it should be handled and where the movement begins in the wrist.

At the end, His Majesty said, “Thank you for these splendid works. Please stay well, continue your work, and keep doing good work.” His words touched me deeply and reminded me how grateful I am to have continued on this path.

My sincere thanks to everyone.