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Article: National treasures: in Kyoto, Japanese crafts are evolving from traditional pieces to modern art. Tom Downey meets the calligraphers, kimono dyers and kettle makers who are redefining artisanship.(City overview)
- Article from:
- Town & Country
- Article date:
- May 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Hearst Communications, reprinted with permission of Hearst. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]
In a small studio in the foothills of northeast Kyoto, Shotei Ibata, master calligrapher, picks up a giant paint-brush half his height. Ibata is a reed-thin man pushing seventy-four, but, wielding the horsehair brush like a saber, he seems to grow younger, taller and more powerful by the minute. Pausing for a moment of meditation, Ibata stands before his canvas, an enormous sheet of thick, rough washi paper that covers the floor, then dips the brush into a bucket of deep black sumi ink.
Steve Beimel, an expert on Japanese arts and crafts who has led me to Ibata's studio, whispers, "This kind of artwork is like exposing your heart ...