kanji – Calligraphy by Vicky

心技体 (shin-gi-tai) “mind, body, spirit”

A Japanese calligraphy work of three kanji characters, black ink on white card, with a red enso, in a black frame.

This was a calligraphy commission for a martial arts practitioner to use as a wall decoration and also as a tattoo design. Students of Japanese will notice that it doesn’t exactly say “mind, body, spirit”. This is because although this phrase is common in English, it’s a little different in Japanese. Happily there is aContinueContinue reading “心技体 (shin-gi-tai) “mind, body, spirit””

美 “beauty”

a 1-character Japanese calligraphy work, black ink on white card, in a black frame.

“There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.” – Edgar Allan Poe This artwork is available for purchase on my Etsy site.

梅雨 (tsu-yu) “the rainy season” (literally “plum rain”)

The Japanese rainy season usually lasts from early June to mid-July, just before it starts to become unbearably hot and humid in summer. It often rains non-stop all day. The kanji in this word are:梅 = plum雨 = rainAccording to Wikipedia, this name comes from China. When plums begin to fall during this period, theContinueContinue reading “梅雨 (tsu-yu) “the rainy season” (literally “plum rain”)”

Three Japanese place names

An A3 landscape Japanese calligraphy work, of 6 characters, black ink on white card.

This was a commission for client who spent a wonderful year living in Japan and wanted to remember the place where she lived. She lived in the small town of 波方 Namikata, which is in the municipality of 今治 Imabari, which is in the prefecture of 愛媛 Ehime. Japanese addresses are written with the largestContinueContinue reading “Three Japanese place names”

芒種 (bō-shu) “Grain beards and seeds”

Japanese calligraphy work of 2 kanji characters, black ink on white background

As well as having 4 seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter), in Japan the year can also be divided into 24 節気 (sekki), or solar terms. The solar terms include terms that are familiar to English-speakers, such as the solstices and equinoxes. They also include references to the weather, the temperature, and the beginning of theContinueContinue reading “芒種 (bō-shu) “Grain beards and seeds””

縁 (en) “destined (to be together)”

A framed Japanese calligraphy work of the character "en".

縁 (en) can refer to destiny in general, but it often has romantic connotations…. something like “star-crossed lovers”, destined to be together for all eternity. This work was a wedding gift.

翔 “to soar” 🦅

A Japanese calligraphy work of one character, black ink on white card

A commission for a friend who enjoys gliding 🛬 If you know someone who would like a unique gift, feel free to contact me about commissioning a calligraphy artwork. You can find more details here: https://calligraphybyvicky.co.uk/commission-a-work/#custom

楽 (raku) “fun”

A Japanese calligraphy work of one kanji, black ink on white paper

A somewhat stylised work I did ages ago. I decided to post it now because in Japan it’s currently Golden Week – a period of consecutive holidays and, hopefully, fun 😊

痛みは避けられない… (pain is inevitable, but suffering depends on you!)

A Japanese calligraphy work of four horizontal lines of kanji characters, black ink on white.

痛みは避けられないでも苦しみは自分次第だ！ Pain is inevitable but suffering depends on you! This Buddhist-inspired quote is by the famous Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, from his book on how he uses Buddhist teachings to live a good life. It’s one of my housemate’s favourite phrases. This work was my birthday present to him a few yearsContinueContinue reading “痛みは避けられない… (pain is inevitable, but suffering depends on you!)”

想 “idea”, “thought”, “conception”

Sorting out some of my old artworks today when I came across the original designs for my logo. The kanji is 想, meaning “thought”, “idea” or “conception”. This is because the original name for my calligraphy business was “Calligraphy to Inspire”. I’ve since changed the name, but kept the kanji.