Ai Takaoka / Calligrapher Kyoto

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Wholeheartedly (the Heart Sutra)

March 2019. My grandmother passed away at 101 years old.
I was unable to write anything that I didn’t feel like writing.
In that state, unaware of myself, I naturally kept writing The Heart Sutra.
While playing the Heart Sutra at full volume, 60 minutes. Repeatedly.
Life repeats and goes on.
Instead of writing cleanly, I wrote with emotion.
Adjusting the shapes, aligning the characters...Instead of doing that, I wrote it naturally again and again While sensing what we call life.

What is life?
I myself don’t have the answer. I believe that it is different for everyone.

While sensing the life that is unique to each of us, I continued to write, over and over again.
Of course, if I made a mistake I started again from nothing. The meaning and depth of life.

That of the Heart Sutra I wrote, and furthermore That of “wholeheartedly” and of writing calligraphy.

Wholeheartedly has nearly the same sensation as “life.” A whole heart. A whole life.

Live fully.

Put your life on the line, and live fully.

I’d be happy if that energy reaches you.

Work Data

Production year2019
Materials/Specificationshanging scroll: Tango chirimen fabric / calligraphy paper
Size222×113cm
Paper size180×90cm
Calligraphy stylewriting brush
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