Join us for the third iteration of this new program series, ACTIVATIONS: After Hours at the Gallery. This edition will take form as a special pre-opening event for the Schaefer International Gallery exhibition Paths of Ink, a showcase of contemporary work in calligraphy.
The evening’s festivities will take place in the Yokouchi Pavilion & Courtyard, with three of the exhibiting calligraphy artists engaging in dynamic performances and accompanied by live musical design. Guests will have a chance to get a sneak peek of a portion of the Paths of Ink exhibition before it opens to the public.
The calligraphy artists will each activate the stage throughout the evening, using giant brushes and buckets of ink to create spontaneous larger-than-life compositions with their full body movement.
Bisei Fukushima Koshu is based in Yokohama and Yamanashi, Japan. While charting a career in design and advertisement, he balanced his work life with studies under Koho Kato, a pioneering master in ancient Chinese calligraphy, going on to participate in annual exhibitions with large-scale pieces that express the energy, essence, and meaning of each kanji stroke.
Michiko Hamasaki began her studies in calligraphy at Tokyo Gakugei University, eventually pursuing her graduate work in the medium. She is the Director of Sumi Art Museum in Yokohama, and head of the calligraphy group “Michinokai.” She has held solo exhibitions, performances, and cultural exchanges throughout the world for over three decades.
Having recently returned to his hometown of Tokamachi City, Niigata, Japan, Sogen Hirano is a founder and advocate of “Shogei,” a genre of calligraphy that uses the line of “life” to form the shape of all things in the universe. He became a master of traditional calligraphy in his teens, winning grand prizes at numerous exhibitions before moving into freelance work at the age of 30. He has since exhibited and performed internationally.
Accompanying the three calligraphy artists will be musical artist Max High, a multi-instrumentalist of Japanese-Filipino-French descent currently based in Honolulu. Formally trained as a flutist and drummer, he has been an active musician for over 10 years. Max approaches music-making as a daily experimental practice with a focus on meditative soundscapes, synthesizer-based sound design, and ethereal tones. His album “Recordings 3” was released on vinyl via local record label Aloha Got Soul in November 2023.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase in the courtyard for dining and social mingling.
FREE Entry! All ages welcome!
Ticketed reservations required via the MACC Box Office
Pre-concert food & beverages available for purchase. CLICK HERE for the menu and serving times.
About the exhibition:
Paths of Ink features contemporary artists from Japan and Korea who pursue innovative new movements in calligraphy, amplifying age-old traditions into a contemporary dialogue. While the art form has traditionally derived from written language, each artist imbues meaning into their work in different ways, whether through the embodiment of stylized characters or through action-focused strokes. The exhibition runs from November 12 – December 28, 2024.
