A contemporary approach to the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy.

"I was raised in a small farm and ranch town in the Texas Panhandle with no Asians or Asian art. But, around the age of eight, someone showed me a book of Chinese paintings, including an oval painting of birds with a poem in Chinese. I felt like Alice falling through the looking glass as I felt my self tumbling into the characters and a pool of black ink. That was the beginning of a life-long love affair with Chinese calligraphy.

 

Since 1980, I have studied and played with Chinese characters, mostly through brush and ink but most recently through woodblock prints. I am most heavily influenced by traditional Chinese calligraphers, such as Wang Xizhi, Mi Fu, and Su Dongpo. Ancient stone carvings of characters from the 2^nd through 6^th centuries are a major influence in my prints. My calligraphy practice, and especially these over-sized prints, is a meditation on and exploration of life, spirit and Buddhism.

 

My work has been exhibited in Seattle, Los Angeles and Tokyo, where I have received a variety of awards and medals. In 2009, I was promoted to the rank of 3^rd degree black belt in the Genwa Calligraphy Association, located in Tokyo, Japan." - Diane Atkinson