Mu

The above photos are of Hiseki Davey Sensei's calligraphy of the Chinese character mu. Impossible to fully define, mu refers to the ultimate nature of reality or the absolute universe. It has been defined as "the void" or "nothingness."

Davey Sensei painted this on specially colored Japanese paper know as a shikishi. It is brushed in the abstract sosho script. It is presently in the collection of Kevin Heard. Click on any of the images to see a larger view.

Similar pieces of artwork can be commissioned for personal or commercial purposes. Davey Sensei, author of The Japanese Way of the Artist, can be reached at hedavey@aol.com.

Mushin

The images of above are of Kobara Ranseki Sensei's calligraphy of mushin. Mushin means "no mind" or "empty mind, " and it refers to a state of calmness and mental clarity that is a goal of traditional shodo practice. Kobara Sensei, founder of Ranseki Sho Juku shodo, painted these Chinese characters in the abstract, abbreviated, and cursive sosho style. (Clicking on the images above will enlarge them.)

Note the dynamic, and yet still composed, nature of the artwork, clearly displaying the unity of calm and action that is the hallmark of high level Japanese calligraphy. The late Kobara Sensei was one of the preeminent masters of Japanese calligraphy in the 20th century, and this work is in the collection of Hiseki Davey Sensei, his student.

Davey Sensei can be commissioned to create similar pieces of calligraphic art, and he can be reached at hedavey@aol.com.