【Miki Otake Positions, Qualifications】
・Member of Mainichi Shodokai(Calligraphers Society)
・Examiner for student examinations at Sogen Shodokai
・Administrative Member of Mainichi Joryu Syoten(Women Calligrapher's Exhibition)
・Director of Western Japan Calligraphers Association
・Councilor of Western Japan Mainichi Shodokai
Other

【History of Exhibits, Activities】
《Overseas》
Japan-China Women Calligraphers Exhibition (China Museum, Beijing) International Calligraphy Exhibition (Jiangsu Museum, Nanjing)

《Domestic》
Calligrapher's Exhibition of Japanese Calligraphers Group Association, Exhibition of Japanese Poetry and Calligrapher Association, Women Calligrapher's Exhibition of Japanese Calligraphers Group Association, Selection of Mainichi Joryu Syoten (Kyoto), Japan Cultural Festival, Kyusyu Exhibition - Japanese Calligraphy Exhibition, Mainichi Syodou Sakkaten (Selection of Calligraphers in the West area of Japan), Exhibition of Mainichi Modern Calligraphy, Kyusyu Sogen Selection, Other.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Heavy schedule!

[July]
From July 1st to 6th, “Japanese Calligraphy Exhibition, Kyushu Exhibition” will be held at Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art. I will attend the celebration at Hotel Nikko on July 1st.

From July 8th to 13th, “Exhibition of Representative Works by Japanese and Chinese Female Calligraphers, Tokyo Exhibition” will be held at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. Last year, Beijing Exhibition was held and I flew from Kyushu to Beijing by myself (I will write about this incredibly interesting and scary trip sometime later…)
Keeping the promise to “meet in Tokyo next year”, I will attend the celebration on July 8th.

From July 15th to 21st, “Mainichi Calligraphy Exhibition, Kagoshima Exhibition” will be held. I will attend the eve party on July 14th.
On July 21st and 22nd, “Yoshin Summer Training Session” in my area, Fukuoka.
From July 27th to 30th, “Sogen-Shodokai Summer Training Session” in Atami.

This is very hard, isn’t it? I have many other meetings too. Moreover, I have to finish work for “** exhibition” held in August.
Please pray for my health.


[August]
In August, which is suggestive, there is big, big news!
Suddenly, it was determined that "Mother-Daughter Exhibition” of my dream will be held at Elgala Gallery in Tenjin, Fukuoka from August 12th to 17th!

I think I wrote in my blog, it has been 7 years since my mother passed away. My mother was doing ink painting before her death and has left many works. I have wanted to hold an exhibition together for 7 years. It may have been the guide of my father and mother that the unexpected chance came to me. It is because this period just falls on “Obon”. “Obon” is the day that has been said spirits of the dead come back to home once a year in Buddhism. Relatives gather to hold a memorial service for their ancestors.
My father, mother and ancestors will come to visit the exhibition of my mother’s and my works all the way from Jodo (Pure Land)…I believe so.

I am sensitive to summer.
I have been physically weak since my childhood - so-called physically fragile. It hasn’t changed that I easily get tired and suffer from headache even after I reached adulthood. And it hasn’t changed that my body feels itchy particularly in summer. I believe I am a fungus such as penicillium and fusarium. I am vulnerable to healthy rays of the sun in summer.
I have never experienced super busyness like this year in this harsh season. Changing sighs into willpower, I will overcome it calmly with a light hand! (I suppose so...)

I will let you know the detailed information of “Mother-Daughter Exhibition”. Please come to visit us if it is close to you (and even far from you if possible). I would like to see you at the venue!!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

June

From June 10th to 15th, “The Exhibition of the World of Japanese Poetry and Calligraphy” will be held at Tokyo Central Art Museum.
(I am sorry that I will be absent from the celebration. The reason is described below.)

During the same period in Kyushu, “Mainichi Women’s Calligraphy Exhibition” will be held at Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art.
Followed by the audition in April, I will attend the awarding ceremony on June 15th to award prizes to awardees.

This year Mr. Shoichi Nishibayashi has been invited as a special judge.
He is my teacher when I was in university. Without accepting pupils for about 15 years, now he has been active as a researcher of calligraphy as well as a university professor.
His many specialized books published always get attention in the world of calligraphy. It is meaningful that I was strictly instructed by Mr. Nishibayashi and could learn what “calligraphy” is when I was young. His word 30 years ago - “don’t think you are writing calligraphy but think you are embarrassing yourself”, is my origin living in the world of calligraphy.

My teacher, whom I met after a long time, was very fine. I was glad that his lively way of talking implied that he was engaged in fruitful work.
Around that time, I received a picture taken by a person from the newspaper company. It was huge in B4 size. I laughed in spite of myself because it was so big. It is needless to say that I had a big smile in the picture with my teacher.