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6-KAWAO Tomoko-HITOMOJI PROJECT-Women-

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HITOMOJI PROJECT – Women –, launched in 2019 by Japanese calligrapher Kawao Tomoko, is an ongoing creative initiative that engages in dialogue with women from diverse cultural backgrounds around the world. In each encounter, the artist listens to their life stories and selects a single Chinese character that best reflects the emotional essence of the individual. She then renders the chosen character in bold calligraphy, inviting each woman to physically “enter” the form with her own posture, captured through photography and video. The result is a powerful cross-media work blending calligraphy, photography, and moving image.
This particular series focuses on five women in Taiwan. The characters written—Change, filial piety, Do, Effort, and Happiness—reflect deeply personal states of being. Each woman steps into the structure of her respective character, her physical form echoing and interacting with the brushstrokes. These works not only highlight the historical connection between Chinese script and natural imagery, but also reveal how personal narratives can be embodied and reinterpreted through calligraphic expression. The series offers a compelling example of how calligraphy can participate in and respond to contemporary social discourse.