Atelier Tokarin

ABOUT

What is Jojoo 抒情 calligraphy?

Building on the knowledge of materials and the mastery of techniques of the centuries old art of Japanese calligraphy, Jojoo is a modern movement that breaks away from the stiff constraints and rigid authority structures that force traditional calligraphy students to spend decades doing expensive and repetitive lessons, copying the texts set by their master and emulating their writing styles. In Jojoo calligraphy, students are encouraged to explore, 抒情 - to bring something up from their own, inner well. It is a movement that believes there is a creative and artistic spirit in all of us and the voice of everyone's heart deserves to be heard.

“Words are the voices of your heart. Calligraphy is a picture of it.”

- Old Chinese Proverb

Materials

Sumi ink, brushes, Suzuri stone plates and paper are called the “four treasures”.

In China, they are called the “four friends”.

墨

Sumi Inks

A selection of traditionally handmade Japanese ink sticks of the highest quality, in a variety of colours, including black, white, red, blue, green, brown and purple, are available for the students to choose from. The warmth and depth of their tone and colours are unlike anything mass produced.

筆

Brushes

We have a great choice of handmade brushes, made from natural materials, such as rabbit and racoon fur, horse hair, peacock feathers, rice straw and bamboo.

硯

Suzuri Ink Plates

Suzuri stone plates from the some of Japan's best craftsmen, such as Akama (Yamaguchi), Soryu (Kochi), Tosa Nakamura (Kochi), Wakada (Nagasaki) and Ogatsu (Miyagi), can be used by the students to make their own unique shades and mixtures of ink.

紙

Noto Washi Paper

For hundreds of years, the skills of the washi shokunin craftsmen have been passed on from one generation to the next. To this day, every year, fresh Kozo trees are planted and the mature trees are harvested. Their bark is shredded and mixed with natural spring water, from which sheets of paper are hand-scooped and dried on wood fires, in a refined process in harmony with its surroundings.

Nigyo Washi

The Noto Nigyo Washi workshop was founded in 1949 in the village of Mii in Wajima, Japan. Most Washi paper is made exclusively from Kozo bark, but Nigyo Washi also uses locally-found materials, such as seaweed, bamboo, cedar bark, flower petals, leaves and seashells. Each sheet is unique and dyed with 100% natural materials.

Kyuden Washi

Washi paper from the Kyuden area was first mentioned in historical documents dating back to 1655. Traditionally made using only Kozo bark, Kyuden washi is a very strong paper that is resistant to staining. It comes in a variety of vivid colours and experimental ideas, such as paper with “holes”.