Exhibition “Echo“ by Koshu
By Mariam Chanishvili
Tuesday, July 2
Georgian National Museum and Embassy of Japan in Georgia present Japanese Calligraphy master’s, Koshu’s (Akemi Lucas) exhibition “Echo“ at Sighnaghi Museum.
The exhibition opening will take place on July 4 and will last until July 11 and is supported by Sighnaghi Municipality and “Georgian Express.”
Shodo (Calligraphy) demonstration will take place at the Niko Pirosmanashvili State Museum was established in Pirosmani’s home village of Mirzaani on July 6. Shodo demonstrations will also be held in Rustavi on July 9.
Apart from the exhibition, a public lecture and workshop are planned on July 8 at Geolab in Tbilisi.
Born in a small town, Mito in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Akemi started her journey as a calligrapher at the age of eight. She was taught under Master Seizan Fujimoto, whose lineage is traced back to a well-known calligrapher of the Meiji period, Meikaku Kusakabe.
“Her distinct style of calligraphy builds on traditional skills, and further embodies the fusion of the ancient and the modern, the eastern and the western, and the before and the after. She predominantly works on exhibitions, demonstrations workshops, and commissions,” reads the description of the event.
The UK based Japanese Artist is currently working on two major projects; The Rugby World Cup and Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. These commissions are prestigious, and Koshu feels they are a great honour. Both projects are high profile, which will bring her work and an appreciation of Japanese art, to a broader international audience.
Currently, Koshu is excited to be working on two major projects; the Rugby World Cup, which will be hosted by Japan later in 2019, and also the 2020 summer Olympic Games-Tokyo 2020.
It is worth mentioning that Koshu took part in the series of events within the frames of “Tokugawa and the Masters,” hosted by Georgian National Museum in October 2018. The events included lectures of Mr. Narimasa Tokugawa (15th Head of Mito branch of Tokugawa Shognate Family) on the Edo era and Tokugawa Family, lectures of 15th Kakiemon Sakaida on the “Kakiemon” porcelain, Tea ceremony demonstrations by Ms. Naoko Matsudaira (Master of “Ura Senke” school) and Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) demonstrations by Koshu (Ms. Akemi Lucas).
Koshu noted that her first visit to Signagi filled her heart with love, and it reflected in her several artworks.
Calligraphy master hopes: “that my love for Georgia poured into my artwork is reflected and resonates in people’s hearts, rippling out and leaving an echo for the future.”
