Onna (woman)

Within traditional Japanese culture, calligraphy plays a distinct role as an art form. Because Kanji are pictographic, written language plays a much more dominant role in Japanese iconography than in Western cultures. This particular character, for example, originates from a Chinese character that closely resembled a woman kneeling. Although the character has transformed dramatically over the centuries, the meaning remains the same – onna, or woman. While modern Kanji have changed significantly over time, they are still indicative of calligraphy’s ability to evoke human portrayal through the use of a writing system. While Kanji have become increasingly stylized and less pictographic, calligraphy still retains its significance as a dual art form – simultaneously linguistic and pictographic. This particular work of calligraphy is a contemporary piece by Ibata Shotei, a well-known Japanese calligrapher known for his oversized, dramatics works. Though this piece is much smaller than many of his others, it nonetheless retains the powerful expressiveness and movement inherent to all his work.