Page 26 - Hussein Revivalism14

Interview

came into contact, in the Middle storm in the desert is like. The with some arabesque or marbled
East, with the Islamic culture and shafts of lightning crash toward the pattern, whereas Japanese prefer
a natural landscape of a sort that is ground, followed by the welcome to maintain that empty space and
unimaginable in Japan. And it was rainfall. In the Qur’an the rain is eliminate whatever is not strictly
then that I also encountered Arabic seen as a joyful sign, bringing life to necessary. I thought that I would
calligraphy. the people and serving as a visible cut out the decorations too and
When you read the Qur’an in Arabic, symbol of a divine presence. concentrate on the lines of the
even as a Japanese person, there Living in the Middle East Arabic characters. When I did that,
are expressions that you can grasp fundamentally altered my view of it began to bring out—in a vibrant
and many passages with a profound the world. It even made me feel way—the shapes of the characters
meaning. For example, there is the that I had a mission to convey this themselves.
line: ‘Everything will perish save His experience to others. My time spent Each of the eight calligraphy
[God’s] face.’ (28:88) there remains a driving force for me styles for Arabic has its own
In other words, phenomenally today. But now, unlike when I was personality—some have a forceful,
speaking, we all disappear at some in my twenties, I have the medium masculine quality, while others
point, but the God who created us of Arabic calligraphy with which to are characterized by a feminine
is eternal. In that sense, as entities express myself. This has led one grace. By creating a design that
created by God, we have an eternal idea after another to well up in my combines different styles and
quality that extends beyond the level mind. I write down each new idea alters the colours and sizes, the
of physical existence. This is one in a notebook. I’ve already filled up calligrapher can achieve new forms
of the essential precepts from the eight of them, which is enough to of expression.
Qur’an that has inspired me. last me the rest of my life. I pursue the most beautiful lines for
Another thing that I found quite the characters I draw while adhering
different in the Middle East was INTERVIEWER: Some have said completely to the rules set down for
its natural landscape, which is so that you’ve brought about a the art of Arabic calligraphy. That’s
different from that of Japan. The ‘revolution’ in the art of Arabic the key principle from which I will
colours you see in the desert are calligraphy. What is it about never sway. Other calligraphers
in fact quite rich in their variations, your approach that sets you have understood this stance and
always changing as the light from apart? shown appreciation for my work—
the sun changes. As dawn nears, even praising the view of the world
a silver light gradually spreads out, HONDA: The characters drawn expressed in my works. All of this
eventually becoming a deep ocean by Arabic calligraphers are has been very gratifying to me.
blue. When the sun first peeks over embellished with decorations,
the horizon the light changes to a but it was a practice that I had
golden yellow—but just a moment some doubts about. People in the
later it’s completely white. The light Middle East like to fill in spaces
then becomes so powerful that you www.nippon.com
can’t make out the contours in the
land. When the sun begins to set in
the evening, various colours appear
again as the sky is tinged a fiery
red. A few minutes later everything
is pitch black, and the space above
the horizon is the star-filled heavens
no matter which way you turn. At
night you can’t hear a single noise;
it’s so quiet that it almost makes
your ears ache. Living in this sort
of natural world you’ll find that
gradually all five of your senses are
sharpened.
Try to imagine what a lightning

26 Hussein Revivalism