Zen Calligraphy
‘TRUE CREATIVITY IS NOT THE
PRODUCT OF CONSCIOUS EFFORT BUT
THE PHENOMENON OF LIFE ITSELF.’
NISHIDA KITARŌ (1870–1945)
What is Zen Calligraphy?
 Zen calligraphy springs from ‘shonen sōzoku’, a Buddhist
term equivalent to ‘true thought’. Although the hand of
the artist can be seen in any work of art, it is the sho –
the brushed calligraphy itself – that is the real artist.
 True creativity through calligraphy arises from ‘mushin’,
or the state of ‘no-mind’, which lies beyond thoughts,
emotions and expectations.
 The essential function of Zen calligraphy and painting is
to encourage the mind towards enlightenment, through
the energy of the ‘no-mind’ which resonates from the
paintings.
In Japan, the most common
form of brushwork for
calligraphers in general, and Zen
artists in particular, is ichigyo
sho, "one-line calligraphies."
These are poetic phrases or Zen
sayings, usually consisting of five
to seven characters, written
vertically on a hanging scroll.
‘Horo horo
yotte
ko no ha
furu’
‘Tipsy, tipsy
drunk-tree leaves
fall’
In the case of calligraphy with
many characters, Obaku Zen
calligraphers enjoyed brushing
original poems in classical
Chinese, while Rinzai and Soto
Zen artists more typically quoted
from the sutras or sayings of a
master. In Zen art, haiku are
often used as inscriptions on
paintings but rarely as just
calligraphy alone.
Even for experts, Zen calligraphy
is often hard to decipher, but the
vitality and dynamic flow of
brush strokes created by a Zen
master can be impressive,
inspiring, and appealing even if
the characters cannot be read at
first.
What characters are used in Zen
Calligraphy?
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.
 Inspired by the life and teachings of Yamaoka
Tesshū, hitsuzendō was formalised by Yokoyama
Tenkei (1885–1966).
 He invented the term hitsuzendō in the sense of
‘expressing through the brush one’s original self’.
Here are two examples of
calligraphy from the Zen
master Yamaoka Tesshū.
The example on the left
hand side is from before
he reached enlightenment
and the example on the
right is from his postenlightenment period of
painting.
Massive in size and scale
of conception, the two
characters on the right
almost explode from the
paper on which they are
written. The brush strokes
of the signature are
vibrant and powerful,
demonstrating the newly
enlightened mind of
Tesshu, the painter.
The effects of enlightenment on
calligraphy
How do you create Zen Calligraphy?
 Zen calligraphy is
painted using a fine
brush and rich black ink.
 The scrolls are made
from finely woven silk
and can be of any size,
depending on the length
of the inscription and the
impact the painter
wishes to create.
Terayama Tanchū drawing
a mujibō (Zen line)
Your turn…
This calligraphy means:
‘FLOWER
Like a FLOWER
BLOOM
All people of the world!’
It was originally be the
Zen painter Soen .