About Masterclass: Japanese calligraphy and traditional stone carving

Saturday 21 September 2024

10am - 4pm

Join artist Nao Fukumoto to learn traditional calligraphy techniques. Carve your own unique stone signature stamp to use with ink or on surfaces such as clay to make an impression.

On arrival, there will be a special opportunity to visit the Edo Pop exhibition of Japanese woodblock prints. Here you will be able to take inspiration from the calligraphy and ink stamps in the imagery.

You will then visit the Clore Learning Studio to discover the art of Japanese calligraphy, using brushes and ink to create flowing lines and elegant marks. In Japan 'Shodo' (Japanese calligraphy) regarded as one of the core traditional Japanese crafts developed over the last sixteen centuries, is a meditative tool to achieve a calm mind.

This workshop will cover techniques on how to use the 'Fude' (brush) with 'Sumi' (ink) on 'Washi' (paper) to make the strokes and marks used to write 'Kana and Kanji' (Japanese characters).

In the afternoon Nao will introduce you to the ancient technique of Tenkoku stone carving. Nao will help you translate your name into Japanese characters to carve into the surface of the stone to create your very own signature stamp.

Stone seals have been used in East Asia for thousands of years, similar to wax seals used in Europe, they are used as a decorative signature to seal letters and sign artwork.

In this workshop, you can choose your own Tenkoku moji (letter) or design your own letter/symbol and carve it into a small square stone. The seal will last forever and will be one of a kind.

About the artist

Nao’s background is in textiles and she teaches other Japanese craft workshops both in the UK and Japan.

She studied for a BA and Masters in woven textiles at Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, mainly using traditional Japanese cloth to design and weave Kimono.

Nao was awarded a scholarship to study for a year at UCA Farnham and has received numerous prizes all over the world for her work during this period.

Nao’s studio is at the Farnham Maltings.

www.naofukumoto.com