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Sun and Moon
A contemporary calligraphy series themed on duality and cycles
Sun and Moon explores themes of opposition and harmony, portraying complementary existences such as the sun and the moon, a-un, and the interplay between planets and satellites through the strokes of the Bird Brush. It was first exhibited at the TSUBASA KIMURA Museum in Osaka in 2016, and subsequently presented at SATO in Zurich in 2017. By being shown across different cultural contexts, the work demonstrated the universality of its theme and became a key piece in the artist’s exploration of cyclical relationships.
【Venue Photographs】
Exhibition View — Sun and Moon
The individual works do not exist in isolation but rather breathe within their interrelationships, forming a structure of gentle interconnectedness. In addition to its presentation in Japan, this work was also featured in a group exhibition held at a furniture gallery in Zurich, in collaboration with local ceramic artists.
TSUBASA KIMURA Museum (Osaka), 2016
SATO (Furniture gallery) (Zurich, Switzerland), 2017
【Work Photographs】
「月」「日」“Moon” and “Sun” (hanging scrolls: each 150 cm)
Sun and Moon — that which illuminates, and that which is illuminated.
The shifting of the heart, waxing and waning.
A ceaseless flow, knowing no stillness.
The gold and silver scrolls, in their height, may be regarded as a projection of the self.
They embody a structure in which opposition and complementarity emerge, part, intertwine, and drift.
Between the conflicting desires of becoming “someone” and being “no one,” and between the poles of eternity and a fleeting moment, the heart drifts—losing its contours yet persisting in motion.
Each work bears a wariin (split seal). Even when separated, they were once one.
The seal is a mark of memory that binds the two once parted.
Even should the works be scattered one day, the split seal will guide them back to their counterpart.
「吽」「阿」“Un” and “A” (hanging scrolls: each 150 cm)
“A-un” signifies both beginning and end, impulse and silence.
All things arise and vanish within that interval.
It is within this space that the enduring questions emerge: Where do we come from, and toward what are we directed?
「衛星」「惑星」「恒星」“Satellite,” “Planet,” and “Star” (hanging scrolls: each 150 cm)
The sun, a star that shines by its own light.
The earth, a planet drawn into orbit.
The moon, a satellite that follows the planet while continuing its own rotation.
Amid invisible forces—light, gravity, and time—they influence one another while each sustains its own path.
Through variations in the density of ink, the work expresses the density of existence itself—whether certain or fleeting, present or impermanent.
「直心」“Zikishin” (Straight Heart) (hanging scroll: 150 cm)
Zikishin — a straight heart, a clear heart, an unwavering heart.
In Zen, it is regarded as a fundamental state of mind that leads toward enlightenment.
Within the act of writing—surpassing time, questioning existence, and confronting inner conflict—it is ultimately this heart that remains, serving as a point of refuge.