- “I would be happy if I can be of help to the people of the Middle East by sharing my art and culture using the brush,” she added.
Amin Abbas
From writing gratitude cards with a brush pen and collaborating with a local florist in Japan to sell a Mother’s Day gift with a message drawn in calligraphy, YUI has come a long way.
YUI picked up the brush at the early age of nine to depict in letters and art the spirit that is invisible to the eye.
Speaking exclusively to Arab News Japan, YUI shared her inspiration for calligraphy: “When we exchanged business cards, I started writing gratitude cards with a brush pen. It is rare to send out gratitude postcards written with a brush pen in Japan, but it was very pleasing.
“When I uploaded my favorite letters on social networking sites, people who saw them asked me to write one for them as well. Then I received more and more contacts saying, ‘Why don’t you make that your job?’ This was the first time I was advised to do so.”
“I have not been doing calligraphy for a long time, but because I enjoy writing with a brush pen, and because people were pleased with my writing I decided to pursue it,” she added.
About the establishment of her career in the field of calligraphy, YUI said: “I started my work about 9 years ago. To depict in letters and art the spirit that is invisible to the eye, but is certainly there.”
“Love, gratitude, respect, what the soul seeks, and the existence of God and Buddha (ancestors) are the most precious and important things, although they are invisible to the eye. By drawing the invisible as art, I hope to deepen love and gratitude more by making them exist there.
“The first work that I worked on was collaborating with a local florist in Japan to sell a Mother’s Day gift with a message drawn in calligraphy,” she added.
About the challenges that she faced during her career, YUI said: “I started going abroad about three years ago to spread Japanese culture and language to the world through art. The hardest part is getting the funds to continue and expand my activities as an artist. The bigger the project gets, the more funds we need, but we do not have any sponsors yet, and to be honest, it is very difficult to take on this challenge on our own.
“But I continue to take on challenges because I feel it is my mission to connect Japan with the world and to share joy with people around the world through art,” she added.
About the most inspirational thing from Japanese culture that she has adapted into her daily life, YUI said: “Since ancient times, Japan has been a country of rituals. We are a people who have lived our lives in prayer, as if we were joining hands with nature to express gratitude for all things and to wish for peace in the world and among our loved ones. They prayed daily not only to their families and acquaintances, but also for the country, the world, nature, and the unseen, and were thankful to live. Our ancestors knew how great and precious the power of prayer is.”
“I have come to respect and appreciate my ancestors by studying Japanese history and mythology and learning about their way of life. We visit the graves of our ancestors every day, visit the gods of shrines, recite the prayer of congratulation, and perform the Rikuho prayer every morning.
“It has become a habit for us to express our gratitude to our predecessors for giving birth to Japan, protecting Japan, and praying for peace in Japan,” she added.
YUI was one of the Japanese artists invited to the World Art Dubai 2024 event and this was her second participation. She said: “When I first visited last year, I fell in love with this place because of the kindness of the people in this region. The kind-hearted people of the Middle East, who smile kindly when their eyes meet, extend a helping hand when in need, and cherish their time with family and friends as well as their faith, are somehow similar to the people of Japan, and I feel very familiar with them.
“Since I have studied a little about the Sumerian civilization, I would like to deepen my faith with the people of the Middle East and discuss their culture and history with them. I would be happy if I can be of help to the people of the Middle East by sharing my art and culture using the brush,” she added.
YUI is preparing for an art exhibition in Paris, France this fall.
About her recommendations for those who want to be a calligrapher or learning Japanese calligraphy, YUI said: “In Japan, there is a word called “Kotodama”, which means “spirit of words. Kotodama means “the power that resides in words, words that contain the soul,” and since ancient times, Japan has been regarded as a country where happiness is brought about by the power of words. Each Japanese word has its own deep meaning”.
“As well as experiencing the sound and beauty of the Japanese language, I think it is very interesting to learn about the mythology of the gods that gave birth to Japan and the history of how our ancestors came to life”.
“There seems to be a lot of overlap with the Middle East. I would recommend that you study the Japanese language and history. If you have a chance, let’s paint Japanese together with a brush!” she added.