YUICHI INOUE: The Creative Journey of a Calligraphy Innovator

BY KEI TAKAHASHI

IN THE WORLD of calligraphy, Yuichi Inoue (1916–1985) is often regarded as the man who opened new horizons. His pioneering work, marked by a profound exploration of an indelible mark on the art form of calligraphy. This article will explore key themes that defined his artistic journey and how these elements contributed to his revolutionary approach.

Single-Character vs. Multi-Character Writing

One of the most typical aspects of Inoue’s work was his bold use of single characters or words, written on large sheets of paper in broad, decisive strokes (1). These works include titles such as Gutetsu (Foolishness) and Fushigi (Wonder) (2), exhibited at the 4th São Paulo Biennale in 1957, and they became cornerstones of his career. Throughout his life, he produced numerous works centred around single char acters, such as those for hana ( flower) (3), ko ( filial piety) (4), ai (love) (5), taka (hawk) (6) and fun (beheaded ) (9). These works were considered ahead of their time and were often included in exhibitions of contemporary art. At the same time, Inoue also created many multi-character works consisting of poetry, sutras and even his own compositions. Included among these were passages from Japanese classics, such as tonafureba (a poem by Ippen Shonin, 1239–1289) (8), and from historical Chinese texts, such as Kafuku (Fortune and misfortune) (7). He also drew inspiration from the writings of Zen monks (11) and from his own wartime experience during an air raid on Tokyo in 1945. An example of the latter can be seen in the series of work, Tokyo Air Raid (10). These multi-character pieces reveal yet another dimension of Inoue’s art, showcasing his ability to convey complex narratives through calligraphy.

Inoue’s oeuvre is almost equally divided between single-character and multi-character compositions. Both forms are essential to appreciating the full scope of his expressive capabilities.

Paper Research

Inoue’s work is fascinating when viewed through the lens of my firm’s traditional and principal business, namely, paper and ink. In our line of business, we have encountered and used a wide variety of paper and ink. Based on this experience, few artists have seemingly been as aware as Inoue of the significance of paper and ink, not to mention their combination in relation to artistic expression. Primarily, Inoue used Chinese and Japanese paper. Yet, he experimented with different kinds of paper from both the East and the West. Naturally, the characteristics of these papers vary widely with respect to the materials employed, their treatment, and the thickness and density. Correspondingly, the reactions that occur when ink is applied to paper also vary widely.

Inoue was a “note taker”, who kept a detailed daily record. Examining his diary, one can see that he is like a university researcher, observing the kind of paper, the kind of ink and the kind of results he gets when the two are combined, changing the variables little by little. Some works show many brushstrokes (12), while others appear to be a solid black mass (13). Some works make ample use of ink deposits (14), while others have none of these, despite being heavily inked (15). Some works were dry brushing (16), while others have stripes, resembling a tiger pattern, visible in the brushstrokes (17). In all of his works, he has skilfully found a choice of materials that makes sense and is capable of producing an effect suited to his own individual expression.

What makes Inoue’s research especially fascinating is the fact that it was conducted not from a theoretical standpoint, but rather by a practitioner actively involved in making art. His discoveries reflect a hands-on understanding of materials, which provide valuable insights into how paper and ink can be manipulated to achieve specific artistic results.

Inoue’s Output

When Masaomi Unagami, one of Inoue’s major supporters, was asked to name Inoue’s masterpiece, his answer was a surprise: “They are all the same. The work that is before you is a masterpiece, because it has already been carefully chosen.”

Inoue is recorded as having produced tens of thousands of works during his lifetime. The actual number is said to be as high as 100,000. Some of these works were discarded immediately after they were brushed, while others were discarded after being evaluated over a period of time. In 1978, just before his sixty-third birthday, Inoue was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. At the time, he wrote about his state of mind, stating that he somehow realised that he would not reach the age of seventy. Therefore, circa 1980, he began sorting through his vast collection of works, a process he called “sorting out my personal affairs”. He did not want the shame of the world seeing all of his work after his death. A well-known Japanese photographer captured him burning some of his work in his garden (18).

Of Inoue’s extant works, only some 500 were exhibited during his lifetime. The remainder have been entrusted to the art critic, Masaomi Unagami, who had a solid understanding of Inoue as an artist, continuously supporting his activities. Unagami has compiled and published a catalogue raisonné of all Inoue’s works, containing over 4000 pieces, including those discovered after his death. A careful look at Unagami’s catalogue shows that more than half of these works are small, less than one metre in length (19). The large works, that would seemingly be more typical of Inoue’s oeuvre, in fact constitute less than 10 per cent of the total.

The Support of his Wife

In order to have a stable income to support his family, Inoue worked as a school teacher until he reached retirement age. He did not wish to rely on calligraphy solely as his means of earning a living. Nevertheless, much of his income from teaching disappeared each month in order to pay for the large quantity of paper that he utilised. His lifestyle was frugal, as befitted a school principal and his family, and the burden that this placed on his family was considerable. According to his daughter, they lived a very simple life, with no sushi or other treats beyond the New Year holiday and birthdays.

Inoue’s wife, Kikue, greatly supported him, preparing all the materials for his calligraphy while he was at work. She readied ink and paper in accordance with her husband’s detailed instructions. After he was finished, working at night or in the early morning, Kikue would dry his work, put it away, and also wash and dry his brushes. The whole process was highly repetitive. While writing calligraphy is quick, preparing and cleaning up clearly took considerable time and effort. Inoue’s brushes were displayed in a retrospective exhibition, commemorating the centenary of his birth (20), held at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa in 2016. Remarkably, almost all of his brushes have survived, even from his earliest years, and are in astonishingly good condition.

The Role and Achievement of Masaomi Unagami

It is impossible to overstate the importance of Inoue’s relationship with Masaomi Unagami, who was nearly twenty years younger than Inoue. His high ideals and unwavering support allowed Inoue to continue working until his death, even as he faced ostracism from the world of mainstream calligraphy in Japan (21). For many years, calligraphy was excluded from Japanese museums on the grounds that “calligraphy is not art”. When Inoue died in 1985, the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, at Unagami’s instigation, decided for the first time to acquire works by Inoue that were categorised as “works of calligraphy”. This provoked the envy of calligraphic organisations and furthermore fuelled strong criticism from them. Thus began the debate, which continues to this day, as to whether Inoue’s work is painting or calligraphy. Nevertheless, this case was groundbreaking for recognising calligraphy, for the first time in Japan, as a form of personal expression. Throughout this tumultuous period, Unagami’s steadfast belief in Inoue’s artistic vision helped to ensure that future generations would recognise and appreciate his work.

Unagami kept all the works that Inoue entrusted to him. While many of these are difficult to interpret, Inoue kept a detailed record of them all. Unagami deciphered Inoue’s voluminous diary and studied each work in detail. Anticipating Inoue’s worldwide fame, he spent a great deal of time and money to produce a catalogue raisonné as a defence against anticipated problems of authenticity, etc. He had promised Inoue that he would have his work published, and each piece was photographed, organised and edited. After a period of fifteen years, working with more than 100 people on the project, he published a three volume catalogue raisonné in 2000 (22). A fourth volume, consisting of works discovered after the artist’s death, was completed in September 2024. Masaomi Unagami’s exemplary efforts and passion for this project have been nothing short of astonishing.

The Carpet and the Rules of Calligraphy

Shodo (calligraphy in Japan) and shoho (calligraphy in China) have strict rules. In an age when everything was handwritten, it was necessary to write characters that could be deciphered according to rules. During Inoue’s lifetime, the role and significance of calligraphy changed considerably. When calligraphy is viewed as a means of personal expression, its rules and restrictions become less meaningful. Despite having learned and mastered these, Inoue produced calligraphy that constantly deviated from them. He intensely disliked the strict hierarchical structure of the calligraphy “establishment”, which viewed his unconventional calligraphy with disdain. Among other things, Inoue was criticised for trimming his calligraphy after completing it. The truth….

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