NEWS
Ink touches paper, and the brush runs.
The line born in that moment will never take the same form twice — even when drawn by the same hand.
A deep, sinking black.
A pale bleed that holds the sway of breath.
The dry-brush texture that emerges from friction with the paper.
And the empty space left undrawn.
Within a single stroke lies a span of time that words alone cannot explain.
We wanted to bring the traces born in that instant into contemporary spaces.
And so, taking traditional Japanese calligraphy as its starting point, we are launching “Hakurei,” an art project that explores contemporary abstract expression.
Japanese Calligraphy, into the Spaces of Today
Calligraphy is not only a means of writing characters.
The stillness just before the brush touches down.
The strength of a line drawn without hesitation.
A bleed that appears unexpectedly.
The empty space deliberately left with nothing at all.
Standing before a work, you may feel something even before you read the characters.
A taut, tense air.
A movement like flowing water.
The lingering presence of a breeze that has just passed through.
A sensation like touching a distant memory.
What Hakurei aims for is neither to reproduce traditional calligraphy as it is, nor merely to give it a modern styling.
It is to look anew at the emotion and spirituality that calligraphy inherently holds, and to release it into contemporary spaces as contemporary art.
The lobby of a hotel or inn.
A corporate entrance or a president’s office.
The wall of a shop.
A quiet place at home for facing oneself.
Without lining up words, the philosophy and aesthetic a space holds dear come quietly through.
We hope to deliver works that exist as such a presence.
From the Perspectives of a Calligrapher and a Designer
Hakurei’s works are born from the collaboration of calligrapher Sonobe Hakurei and spatial designer Takano Shuntaro.
Sonobe Hakurei has devoted himself to calligraphy for more than 35 years.
The delicacy and strength that dwell in a single stroke.
Brush pressure, speed, breath.
A sensibility honed through long training and a rich sensitivity form the core of each work.
Through his work in branding and spatial design, Takano Shuntaro has come to regard calligraphy not as mere decoration, but as an expression that moves the human heart.
Something that cannot arise from calligraphic skill alone, nor from a design perspective alone.
A pursuit of expression and materials that resonate with contemporary life and space, while rooted deeply in tradition — and a curiosity toward light.
Hakurei began in order to explore that very possibility.
Dwelling a Vision within a Single Stroke
At Hakurei, in addition to creating and selling existing works, we also welcome inquiries for made-to-order pieces tailored to your space and your vision.
The philosophy a company holds dear.
The memory of the land an inn has inherited.
The resolve embedded in a shop’s name.
An emotion you wish to preserve at a turning point in life.
A feeling you cannot yet put into words.
Through repeated dialogue, we draw up the essence that lies beneath and sublimate it into a work.
Art is not only for decorating a space.
Simply by being there, it changes the air of a place.
It quietly leaves behind what words cannot fully convey.
Each time your gaze happens to fall upon it, it gives rise to a new sensation within the viewer.
These are the kinds of works we hope to deliver.
The time and beauty that dwell in calligraphy, into contemporary spaces — and from Japan, to the world.
From here, the journey of Hakurei begins.