Masumi Sakagami

SOLO EXHIBITION

2016    Kawata Gallery, Kobe City, JAPAN

2015    Walter Wickiser Gallery, New York, NY

2012    Sakagami Masumi Exhibition,

Gallery Space Q.Ginza, Tokyo, Japan

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2002    Katsuragi Kai Calligraphy Exhibition,

Miyakomesse Kyoto Kangyo Kaikan,

Kyoto, Japan

2000    Katsuragi Kai Calligraphy Exhibition,

Miyakomesse Kyoto Kangyo Kaikan,

Kyoto, Japan

1998    Katsuragi Kai Calligraphy Exhibition,

Miyakomesse Kyoto Kangyo Kaikan,

Kyoto, Japan

AWARDS

2005    The Special Prize for the 59th Calligraphy Exhibition

of Japan Calligraphy House:Category II,

Osaka,Japan

2004    Selected for the 36th Nitten Exhibition,Tokyo,Japan

The Special Prize for the 21st Calligraphy Exhibition,

Sponsored by Yomiuri Shinbun Press Yomiuri

Shohokai Jimukyoku,Tokyo,Japan

The Special Prize for the 42nd Calligraphy Exhibition

Mizuho Shoten,Kyoto City Government Museum,

Kyoto,Japan

The Special Prize for the 58th Calligraphy Exhibition

of Japan Calligraphy House:Category II,

Osaka,Japan

2003    Selected for the 20th Calligraphy Exhibition

Sponsored by Yomiuri Shinbun Press Yomiuri

Shohokai Jimukyoku,Tokyo,Japan,

2002    Selected for the 19th Calligraphy Exhibition

Sponsored by Yomiuri Shinbun Press Yomiuri

Shohokai Jimukyoku,Tokyo,Japan

The Special Prize for the 40th Calligraphy Exhibition

Mizuho Shoten,Kyoto City Government Museum,

Kyoto,Japan

2001    Selected for the 18th Calligraphy Exhibition

Sponsored by Yomiuri Shinbun Press Yomiuri

Shohokai Jimukyoku,Tokyo,Japan

The Special Prize for the 39th Calligraphy Exhibition

Mizuho Shoten,Kyoto City Government Museum,

Kyoto,Japan

EDUCATION

Nara University of Education,Japan

Bachelor of Art Education

In Calligraphy & Traditional Culture

ARTIST STATEMENT

My artistic journey began at the age of seven in the city of Nara, Japan ‒the heart and origin of Buddhism‒ as a student of calligraphy and classical Kanji and Hiragana (Japanese characters and alphabet) at Japan’s most prestigious school of art, Nara Kyouiku Daigaku Tokusetu Syodouka.

I have since been perfecting my abstract paintings and the Japanese classical calligraphy of Kanji and Hiragana with traditional water–based Japanese ink, Sumi. Through Sumi, my abstract paintings and classical calligraphy can express the raw diversity of the Japanese psyche.

As a Japanese woman, I try to portray the hidden feelings and unexpressed opinions of unforgettable past love. The nature of my work depicts the emotional sensations and imaginative state of mind of Japanese society. Over the years, using free-hand Sumi paintings as a professional artist, I have also explored the unique perspective of peace and serenity of the Japanese people.

My work fuses abstract paintings with classical Japanese calligraphy, which focuses on the movements and versatility of line compositions.　I aim to merge the paradoxically classic yet contemporary Japanese social and human phenomena with feminine philosophical depth. In order to articulate such feelings and thoughts, I use Sumi as the core medium for my paintings. I mainly utilize three kinds of Sumi expressionism, as it has an enriched nature of appearance that changes along with its usage.

I try to imbue my work with an emotional quality that often leans toward the meditative and serene. Years of experiencing Japanese socio-cultural ethics has led to my distinctive work driven by my intuition. My paintings portray an invisible, yet universal aspect of feminine strength and inner beauty that resonates in all women regardless of age. Thus, it influences interpersonal relationships with its unspoken emotions of Japanese society that transcend time.