Profile
イラスト書道家 長野県飯田市出身。８歳から書道を始める。新潟大学 教育学部書 道科を卒業。出版社に就職。2015 年から「見たことのない書道」を テーマに、 イラストと書道を組み合わせた新しいアート「イラスト 書道」を制作。 2017 年、ニューヨークのOuchi Garally 主催100 人 展にて１位を獲得。その後、独立。オリジナリティの高い作品は、 パリ、ロンドン、スイス、ドバイでも好評を得る。2020 年より、 故郷飯田市にU ターンした。長野トヨタなど、地元の企業やイベ ントとコラボレーションした作品を多数手がける。また、書道とイ ラストを短時間で書き上げるパフォーマンスも好評で、全国各地 で揮毫している。2022 年には、パリのルーブル美術館で行われた Art shopping Paris に出品、ライブパフォーマンスも行った。共著 に『漢字の語源図鑑』（平山三男 著／和全 絵／かんき出版）がある。
Profile
Wazen always appreciates Japanese characters. She believes that each character helps her creation – a harmony of calligraphy and pictures.
Wazen was brought up in Nagano, Japan – a quiet area surrounded by nature. She has always enjoyed drawing pictures and reading books since a young age. You may notice that her art has a playful undertone. It is because she has great admiration towards influential manga artists: Tezuka Osamu, Toriyama Akira, among other great manga artists.
Ever since she has taken calligraphy lessons at the age of eight, she’s been deeply absorbed in it. She kept pursuing her love of calligraphy in university. She is fascinated by “Kokotsubun” and “Kinbun” which are ancient characters. They are ideograms, which were originally derived from pictograms – they are pictures in her eyes; gives her uncanny feelings. After graduating from university, she took a job at a publishing company to fulfill one of her dreams, creating books. She is currently an editorial designer and illustrator.
However, she has recently realized that art is her true calling and decided to lead her life as an artist. What prompted her decision was a calligraphy exhibition she joined, after a 10-year absence.
During the intense preparation, she reconnected to her passion of calligraphy.
She also realized that calligraphy is not a favorite subject for many Japanese. Many of them are not interested unless you are a calligrapher; that frustrates her a great deal. It’s a shame that they don’t know how to enjoy calligraphy – it is “Mottainai”!. She wanted to make more people to enjoy one of Japan’s most beautiful and richest cultures. She started thinking about what she could offer them that would interest them, – so she started experimenting with a new approach. She first drew a girl with a delicate and fragile appearance and then gave her “羽”(=wings) in an ancient character, which looks exactly like what they represented.
Now Wazen successfully created a harmony of the delicacy and fine appearance of the girl with the grandeur of calligraphy – New magnificent beauty was born.
She felt that this new style could break the paradigms towards calligraphy; draw more attention from people. Also, it could be enjoyable for foreigners who don’t have any knowledge of Japanese calligraphy.
“This is my style; this is my art!” her inspiration stroke.
Her journey continues and the best is yet to come.
Wazen was brought up in Nagano, Japan – a quiet area surrounded by nature. She has always enjoyed drawing pictures and reading books since a young age. You may notice that her art has a playful undertone. It is because she has great admiration towards influential manga artists: Tezuka Osamu, Toriyama Akira, among other great manga artists.
Ever since she has taken calligraphy lessons at the age of eight, she’s been deeply absorbed in it. She kept pursuing her love of calligraphy in university. She is fascinated by “Kokotsubun” and “Kinbun” which are ancient characters. They are ideograms, which were originally derived from pictograms – they are pictures in her eyes; gives her uncanny feelings. After graduating from university, she took a job at a publishing company to fulfill one of her dreams, creating books. She is currently an editorial designer and illustrator.
However, she has recently realized that art is her true calling and decided to lead her life as an artist. What prompted her decision was a calligraphy exhibition she joined, after a 10-year absence.
During the intense preparation, she reconnected to her passion of calligraphy.
She also realized that calligraphy is not a favorite subject for many Japanese. Many of them are not interested unless you are a calligrapher; that frustrates her a great deal. It’s a shame that they don’t know how to enjoy calligraphy – it is “Mottainai”!. She wanted to make more people to enjoy one of Japan’s most beautiful and richest cultures. She started thinking about what she could offer them that would interest them, – so she started experimenting with a new approach. She first drew a girl with a delicate and fragile appearance and then gave her “羽”(=wings) in an ancient character, which looks exactly like what they represented.
Now Wazen successfully created a harmony of the delicacy and fine appearance of the girl with the grandeur of calligraphy – New magnificent beauty was born.
She felt that this new style could break the paradigms towards calligraphy; draw more attention from people. Also, it could be enjoyable for foreigners who don’t have any knowledge of Japanese calligraphy.
“This is my style; this is my art!” her inspiration stroke.
Her journey continues and the best is yet to come.
イラスト書道家 ／ ブックデザイナー ／ イラストレーター
2016 年:個展「Muse ~女神たちの福集め~」@大盛堂書店（東京渋谷）
2017 年:ニューヨーク、Ouchi Gallery 100 人展「HOME」1位、個展「HOME」@大盛堂書店（東京渋谷）、長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、個展「三穂復興行事」@旧小笠原書院資料館（長野県飯田市）、個展「『ふたりの兄弟』出版記念個展」@大盛堂書店（東京渋谷）、新潟県民会館（新潟県新潟市）
2018 年:個展「LIFE」長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、大盛堂書店（東京渋谷）、個展「三穂復興行事」@旧小笠原書院資料館（長野県飯田市）
2019年:個展「古代文字×世界の名画展」@長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、ギャラリー青（福岡県飯塚市）、伊那文化会館（長野県伊那市）、心の花美術館（長野県上田市）、かんでんギャラリー（長野県木曽郡）、大盛堂書店（東京渋谷）、ジャパンエキスポ inパリ参加、 A Bridge to JAPANESE ART inロンドン参加
2020 年: 個展「古代文字×名作文学展」@ギャラリー青（福岡県飯塚市）、飯田市立美術博物館（長野県飯田市）、大盛堂書店（東京渋谷）、World Art Dubai参加
2021年：個展「和全の墨と彩の世界」＠最上川美術館（山形県村山市）、個展「和全の墨と彩の世界」＠東山道・園原ビジターセンターはゝき木館・信濃比叡廣拯院（長野県阿智村）、個展「古代文字×名作文学展Ⅱ」@長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、ギャラリー青（福岡県飯塚市）
2022年：個展「和全の白と黒の世界」＠東山道・園原 ビジターセンター はゝき木館・信濃比叡廣拯院 （長野県阿智村） Art shopping Paris（パリ、フランス）
2023年：個展「ごちゃごちゃ展」＠松山文化伝承館 （山形県酒田市）、 長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、The fine art basel biennale（バーゼル、スイス）
2024年：個展「The Best」@長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、the 6th Annual Art Exhibition Award（ニューヨーク）参加
2025年：個展「心のある時代の字、心のない時代の字」@長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、「文字あそび」@アートギャラリー北野（京都府京都市）
インタビュー記事
2017 年:ニューヨーク、Ouchi Gallery 100 人展「HOME」1位、個展「HOME」@大盛堂書店（東京渋谷）、長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、個展「三穂復興行事」@旧小笠原書院資料館（長野県飯田市）、個展「『ふたりの兄弟』出版記念個展」@大盛堂書店（東京渋谷）、新潟県民会館（新潟県新潟市）
2018 年:個展「LIFE」長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、大盛堂書店（東京渋谷）、個展「三穂復興行事」@旧小笠原書院資料館（長野県飯田市）
2019年:個展「古代文字×世界の名画展」@長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、ギャラリー青（福岡県飯塚市）、伊那文化会館（長野県伊那市）、心の花美術館（長野県上田市）、かんでんギャラリー（長野県木曽郡）、大盛堂書店（東京渋谷）、ジャパンエキスポ inパリ参加、 A Bridge to JAPANESE ART inロンドン参加
2020 年: 個展「古代文字×名作文学展」@ギャラリー青（福岡県飯塚市）、飯田市立美術博物館（長野県飯田市）、大盛堂書店（東京渋谷）、World Art Dubai参加
2021年：個展「和全の墨と彩の世界」＠最上川美術館（山形県村山市）、個展「和全の墨と彩の世界」＠東山道・園原ビジターセンターはゝき木館・信濃比叡廣拯院（長野県阿智村）、個展「古代文字×名作文学展Ⅱ」@長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、ギャラリー青（福岡県飯塚市）
2022年：個展「和全の白と黒の世界」＠東山道・園原 ビジターセンター はゝき木館・信濃比叡廣拯院 （長野県阿智村） Art shopping Paris（パリ、フランス）
2023年：個展「ごちゃごちゃ展」＠松山文化伝承館 （山形県酒田市）、 長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、The fine art basel biennale（バーゼル、スイス）
2024年：個展「The Best」@長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、the 6th Annual Art Exhibition Award（ニューヨーク）参加
2025年：個展「心のある時代の字、心のない時代の字」@長野県立飯田創造館（長野県飯田市）、「文字あそび」@アートギャラリー北野（京都府京都市）
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