It's only recently that I've deeply come to appreciate the charm of Kakejiku (hanging scrolls).
Hanging scrolls have always been a part of my life, yet they felt so distant. The ones my grandparents displayed in their alcove were mostly Buddhist-themed, and they felt musty, mouldy, and stained – not appealing in the slightest. This experience influenced me so much that when I practiced calligraphy, I never even considered creating kakejiku.
Hanging scrolls have a unique balance. They generally give a vertically elongated impression compared to Western paintings. In traditional kakejiku, the top cloth – ‘ten (heaven)’ – above the artwork is considerably longer than the bottom cloth – ‘chi (earth)’. This is because the scroll is designed to hang in an alcove, and seen from below, by people sitting on tatami mats. Because this creates a skewed perspective, traditional Japanese scrolls frame the artwork asymmetrically, in order to compensate that skew.
Because I didn't have the best impression of hanging scrolls until recently, I mostly used canvas when creating my art. I've also directly written on denim and created 3D-printed calligraphy. Each was a delightful experience in its own way. But one day, as I brushed on washi (traditional Japanese paper) for the first time in years, I was taken aback by its perfect compatibility with ink and its beauty. The sensation of black ink smoothly getting absorbed into the slightly off-white, delicate washi was nothing short of a pleasure. And the exquisite beauty of the ink's colour!
Ever since that experience, I've fount a renewed interest in washi, which naturally led me back to hanging scrolls.
While preserving tradition, hanging scrolls are also evolving. I frequently see modern kakejiku at calligraphy exhibitions. I've been entrusting the mounting of my artworks to a kakejiku master in Shibuya. This shop, located in a street lined with popular clothing stores among the youth, and near Miyashita Park, a symbol of Shibuya's street culture, accommodates my requests that completely disregard tradition with incredible flexibility. The result is breathtakingly beautiful, making my own work appear far more splendid and radiant.
The greatest advantage, also, is that hanging scrolls can be rolled up. This makes them convenient for transportation and storage. Unlike a canvas, there's no need for stretching, and you can immediately enjoy the art once it's unrolled. All you need is a single hook on the wall. What a fantastic system!
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