石川九楊｜Ishikawa Kyuyoh

May 28, 2025

An article about Ishikawa Kyuyoh Exhibition was published on the art media platform Tokyo Art Beat.

書家・石川九楊展（京都・思文閣）を、アート、染織、茶の湯、食のクリエイターたちが鑑賞。孤高の世界を、それぞれの視点で観る ↗︎ [Available in Japanese only]

An Analysis of Calligraphic Aesthetics

1960s−1980s

Going at gray paper with brushwork in the manner of pencil strokes, this calligrapher unleashes massive matrixes. Negating and rejecting the affectations of stereotypical calligraphy, he tramples any and all things taboo in a solitary struggle.

The Discovery and Deployment of Taction

1990s−2000s

A slackening of the pace is, for an artist, synonymous with decay. Order and chaos, creation and destruction, affirmation and negation...... Through that unceasing interplay does the calligraphy blaze new frontiers.

Calligraphy as Literature

2010s−

Underlying all calligraphic works is the questioning as to how calligraphy is to deliver expression in the present. Calligraphy, to whatever extent it is an expression of language, is literature.

Ishikawa Kyuyoh

Calligrapher

Born in Fukui Prefecture, Japan in 1945. Graduated from the Faculty of Law at Kyoto University. After serving as a professor at Kyoto Seika University and the director of the Institute for Writing and Civilizations, he is now an emeritus professor at the same university. Ishikawa has elucidated the concept that “calligraphy is the art of hisshoku (taction),” and interprets the structure and history of calligraphy. As a critic, he is also active in discussions on the Japanese language and culture, which have had a significant impact across various fields. In both his artistic creations and written works, Ishikawa continues to produce cutting-edge expressions and insights. His body of work includes over 2,000 calligraphic pieces and more than 100 published books. 

Biography (PDF)