kanji- ancient characters

The earliest recordings of kanji were discovered on tortoise shells and cow bones, approximately 2000 - 1500 BC in he Yellow River region of China. Over time, these symbols became more complex and abstract, growing into over 50,000 characters. These eventually migrated throughout the Orient. In Japan it was named kanji.

Kanji is not only a written language, it is an art form. The dynamic and countless styles of brushwork of Oriental calligraphy hang in galleries and private collections. The universal appeal of kanji can be seen worldwide from from poetic script in a Buddhist temple to designs in a tattoo parlour.

The history of how each character evolved into meaning fascinates me. I began painting kanji during a two year stay in Hokkaido Japan. Initially my interpretations of the characters were quite visible. It has since become more abstract to the point of illegibility, while maintaining a hint of its original meaning.