Ai Kishimoto started her business at the age of 25. In 13 years, she provided work to more than 15,000 people. Collecting attention with a wide range of creative activities including collaborations with various artists, musicians, dancers, and cooks. Ai Kishimoto receives requests from all over the world. Working in Paris, Milano, Los Angeles, Sydney, Hawaii, Shanghai, and Thailand, she’s painted calligraphy murals delivered performances and organized workshops.
She founded an association of “SINSHO(心書” and started an online school, attracting students at home or abroad whilst training lecturers of “SINSHO” calligraphy. We had the opportunity to speak to her about her successful career.
What inspired you to start doing calligraphy art?
Eighteen years ago, I was in the business of selling kimonos. At that time, I started writing letters with a brush pen in order to express my gratitude to customers.
How many years of training did it take for you to master calligraphy art?
I had no experience with calligraphy art, calligraphy writing, or art in general.
I also had no teachers or mentors. At that time, I didn’t have the skills to collect information on the Internet or money to buy books as I do now, so I had to practice writing by myself every day. Around half a year later, I started to feel that I was able to express the emotions I felt in my heart. After about three years, I felt I had all the necessary skills to express my emotions.
However, the calligraphy art style does not have the correct answers, levels, or rules compared to traditional calligraphy, so I honestly don’t know when I ‘“mastered” it. Even now, I think I can still grow and face my feelings more deeply, and I would like to improve my stroke technique so I can express my feelings. Eighteen years later, I continue to improve my self-dialogue and brush skills every day.
You developed your own style which you call Sinsho. Can you share with us the concept behind it and how it differs from standard calligraphy practice?
I didn’t start writing because I wanted to be good at calligraphy, but I started with the desire to convey my feelings to people I interacted with. But no matter how many times I wrote, the meaning I attempted to deliver was not understood by the other person. “Why can’t I communicate to others all of these feelings I have inside?”
When I started thinking about it in this way, I noticed something. Even though I wrote “Thank you” to someone I was not able to thank them from the bottom of my heart. I was shocked when I realized this fact. Every day until then, I had been unconsciously saying and writing the words “thank you.” To be honest, I used “Thank you” without knowing what I was thankful for.
So, I started to ask myself, “Why don’t I really thank the other person?” I also realized that I wasn’t in touch with my own emotions in order to express my full gratitude. At that time, I was a different person. I couldn’t trust anyone including myself. I was afraid to interact with people and I was afraid to be hurt.
I did not experience that life is beautiful and that I am valuable and worthy of existence. Perhaps it’s because I grew up in an environment where I didn’t hear the words “I love you” and “Thank you for being born” from my parents. At this moment I realized that I am valuable and have meaning. I wanted to love someone and be loved by someone. I strongly wanted to shine and create a happy life. From there, I stopped writing thank-you letters to people. Instead of that, I tried saying “thank you” to myself and hugged myself every day. Then, I tried to find good things about myself and praise them. About a half year later of doing that every day, I suddenly started crying and immediately wanted to hold my brush. I became aware that there are feelings in my heart that I am thankful for being born with and I expressed it with all my might. I felt my emotions and expressed them through my arms and brush. “That is the moment when Sinsho was born.”Then, from the first time, I felt the meaning of thank you.
I was able to really know and express “thank you for meeting me” and “thank you for being born” to another person. Now I could express it with a brush and truly convey my feelings to someone. Unlike traditional calligraphy, Sinsho has no rules nor correct answers. You can use the brush and the stroke order freely. It’s free, so you can express it infinitely and it’s fun. If your focus for writing is to find the correct answers, the experience of freedom and self-expression may be hard to obtain. You always need to talk to yourself, feel your various emotions, and express them as they are.
It is necessary to have a process of accepting your work (your feelings) which is created. Of course, I teach people who are learning Sinsho how to use a brush and the skills of brush strokes, but mainly I am to teach my students how to dialogue with themselves for the purpose of self-acceptance and self-awareness. Sometimes my students tell me, “I can’t write like that.” “I’m not good at this.” “My work is not good enough.” When they say these things, I say “Don’t judge your work.”
The important thing is to acknowledge your work, first. Then, if there are aspects you would like to improve upon you can work on your brush skills and training to improve your sensitivity. This way you can grow more.
You’ve worked with over 10,000 people from all over the world ranging from artists, musicians, dancers, cooks, and many others. Can you share some of your most memorable collaborations?
The most memorable collaboration is with cellist Mariko. I will never forget that time as long as I live. She uses the cello freely to express herself. It can sometimes be delicate and lovely, and at other times very dynamic and powerful. I thought the method of expression was similar to that of Sinsho, so I listened to her music every day while creating my art. When her sound changes, so does my line. Our motion was synchronized. I found this reaction very interesting. I strongly wanted to see her in person, so I decided to go to see her stage in Las Vegas. I went to Las Vegas from Tokyo, but she had already left the stage. I couldn’t meet her and couldn’t hear her sound. But still, I didn’t give up, so I messaged her on Instagram, and she responded. I found out that she was staying in New York for Madonna’s concert, and she gave me a chance to meet her for only one day. I immediately flew to New York!
Three hours after I met her, we decided to record our art collaboration. There was no rehearsal and there was only one chance. It was a big challenge for me to write calligraphy art on her body while she was playing. Before we started, I could feel that she believed in me with so much love and I, of course, fully trusted her as well.
I remember the moment I heard the first sound, but after that my consciousness left me. Her energy and the sound of the performance were soothing and echoing in my body as if the two were melting together. I truly felt her in the art I created at that time and it was as if the brush was moving by itself. After that, I read the kanji aloud and she said, “That’s me! It’s amazing!” I was very happy. The video of the collaboration created at that time later reached the eyes and minds of many people around the world. I also felt very happy that I was able to give inspiration and motivation to many people in Japan and overseas.
When you take on a project, what is your ultimate goal at the end of creating the work?
I always keep in mind to overcome my limit when creating a new project. For example, once I create a work of art perfectly I know I can create it again if I do it the same way, but I daringly choose new ways I’ve never tried before. At first, it is a challenge for me, so I often mess up, but I might also discover something new I’ve never done before. I feel happy in my soul to do that. I choose to reach for the unimaginable rather than settle for the norm. For that, I strongly believe in my partner whom I collaborate with as well as myself. I feel I am always developing. I don’t know what my final goal is now, and maybe I won’t know it in the future either. I am always evolving and my goal is always changing. I try not to think about the future. I work hard and do my best to live in the moment. I will follow what my heart desires at the moment. If my existence stimulates somebody and inspires them, I am really happy.
In modern Japanese society, do you feel calligraphy art is still popular, or is it one of those customs that has slowly lost popularity in Japan?
As a result of fewer opportunities for handwriting due to the increased use of personal computers, smartphones, and printers, the calligraphy population is decreasing year by year. Although with calligraphy art you can easily start it as a hobby, and technology is helping to write calligraphy art digitally and with applications. I think that the new ways to enjoy the art along with new tools that have been created make the art still enjoyable. With Kakizome, which is the national tradition of writing new year’s resolutions with calligraphy, I think that calligraphy culture will not lose its popularity. I think it is necessary to always think about and devise simple measures for succession.
For those who are not interested in calligraphy, through calligraphy art expression activities I want to give them an opportunity to be “interested” by continuing to make various innovative expressions.
You also founded your Sinsho online school as well as working with public schools, so education is obviously very important for you. What is your approach to teaching students this art? Is it a challenge to help them find their individuality?
To be honest, I feel that there are strict rules in places of education in Japan, and they are reluctant to incorporate new things. Sinsho is about discovering the personality of a person and teaching them to be happy with it. However, I feel that Japan is not active in asserting individuality because it has a strong “Japanese mind” that emphasizes order and harmony of groups rather than individuality and individual freedom. Even so, a few teachers and schools have been interested in Sinsho and have taken part in trial lessons. In fact, there was a young man who was about to break because he held too much pain inside his heart he couldn’t talk about with his friends or parents. When we encountered each other I offered him tools in the style of Sinsho to let his emotions pour out. In another instance, there was a young woman who expressed feeling crushed by the rules of society, but through Sinsho, her talent bloomed.
Through Sinsho You can improve a lack of communication between friends, parental relationships, etc., There are many students who can recognize their individuality and enjoy the differences between each other. I wish I could have known these tools in my earlier days. I think it would have been easier to process my emotions through the hard times. Next year, I’ve set a goal to provide lectures for instructors in the education field who wish to learn and teach Sinsho.
What are your plans in the future? Do you have any upcoming projects that people can look forward to?
Now I am taking on the challenge of acting overseas as a performer of calligraphy art and expressing the theme of beauty and love. I would like to perform writing calligraphy art on my body on the big stage gathering many audiences around the world. I love the stage of Cirque du Soleil. I would like to act on a wonderful stage like Cirque du Soleil, as well as other beautiful and sexy show stages someday soon. After the coronavirus, I will go abroad and collaborate with artists or musicians and I will create many artworks.
Photographer：Ryota Kiriaki
Videographer ：Hitoshi Igarashi
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