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In a corner facing the street within the Louvre Palace, at the grand Hall des Maréchaux adorned with statues, a solo exhibition by Sumi-e artist Meiyu Niwa was held.

■Meiyu Niwa Solo Exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris
〔Resonance de l’encre in Louvre Palace〕
Date: October 28 (Saturday) to October 29 (Sunday), 2023
Venue: Musée des Arts Décoratifs

The venue featured a hall with a mosaic marble floor and an impressive ceiling height of 8 meters. This elegant space, created by the fusion of over 30 of Ms. Niwa’s serene works, inspired by the beautiful and grand nature of Japan, deeply fascinated many visitors. On the first evening, a vernissage (opening party) was also held, where guests were enchanted by beautiful music that collaborated with the artwork and wines specially prepared from Japan.

Among the vernissage attendees were the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to France, Mr. Makita Shimokawa, and representatives from art magazines, who offered congratulations and praise.

■ Guest Comment: Thibaud Josset, chief editor of the art magazine “Univers des Arts”

At the vernissage, Mr. Josset offered his insights on the works from three perspectives.

Modernity of the Works
Ms. Meiyu Niwa’s works are known to be rooted in the traditional history and cultural context of Japan, while also incorporating elements of Western oil painting culture. I propose a slightly different angle. When we look back on how Japanese calligraphy evolved around the 20th century, you may be surprised to learn that much of this evolution occurred in Paris. This evolution began in the avant-garde context of the early 20th century. The idea, or perhaps ambition, of merging ink painting with Western painting was born in Paris of the early 20th century. This suggests that Ms. Meiyu Niwa works are not merely classical/traditional or modern but are genuinely contemporary, undertaking artistic inquiries from the previous century that have yet to be realized, marking the beginning of the 21st century. That’s the first point I wanted to convey.

Style and Martial Arts
The second point concerns style. You may notice the constant contrast between verticality and horizontality in her works, which forms the basis of her expression. Once again, I’d like to touch upon Japan, and as you may know, the use of calligraphy and brushes in Asia, not just Japan but also Korea and China, is historically closely linked to martial arts. Reading medieval Japanese or Korean documents, you might find that the way of using a brush is often compared to the way of using a sword. The line drawn by a brush resembles the blade of a sword. I don’t know if anyone here has practiced Iaido, but there’s a spiritual connection. Verticality and horizontality reflect the idea that humans are rooted to the earth, finding support there, and there lies the verticality of the sword. Ms. Meiyu Niwa works on the ground, handling the brush while standing on paper laid on the floor, doing much of her work on the ground. Digging into this could reveal something quite interesting. Perhaps, after a 60-year career, being an artist handling ink in 2023 requires being somewhat of a samurai.

“Concretization” in the Works
Many critics have said that this is contemporary calligraphy, an abstracted calligraphy. There might be that interpretation and reception, but I believe a more effective perspective to understand Ms. Meiyu Niwa works is “concretization.” The works are not abstracting reality but concretely shaping it. They use reality to speak of something much more interesting, speaking about reality through something that is not reality. Essentially, this is the definition of poetry. It doesn’t distort and reshape what exists in reality, nor does it artificially create something abstract. It takes what exists, deconstructs it, and recreates something new.

■ Visitor Comments (Selected excerpts)

■ Visitor Comments (Selected excerpts)

“Simply beautiful. I can feel the purity.”
“Fascinating how the focus differs between works, whether it’s on the color or the lines.”
“It’s not just modern but I can also feel the influence of traditional calligraphy expressions.”
“I love the bold movements and rotations of the brush.”
“I can feel the artist’s energy and feminine strength through the works.”
“The unique texture and depth created by the special production method are amazing.”
“Determining how much to paint and when to stop is the biggest challenge when I create my work. Madame Niwa’s work has an incredible balance, and it’s very educational for me.”

On the first day, two pieces were sold, and throughout the exhibition, there were discussions about further purchases and installations in hotels, indicating a significant response. The works, sought after for their appeal across different sensibilities and scenes globally, clearly demonstrated their value. The exhibition, which can be considered the culmination of Ms. Niwa’s pursuit of ink art, has left a significant mark in Paris during the peak of autumn.