| JAPANESE PROFILE |
Christine Flint Sato
I am a British sumi ink artist living and working in Nara and Amami Oshima, Japan.
My art work is inspired by the natural world: its patterns, energies and movements. I work in dialogue with the sumi ink, releasing it onto the paper, allowing it to be itself and then responding to it as I build up a painting. Sumi ink spreads and ripples across the paper in the same way water runs through sand, rivers through mountains, blood through our bodies. Nature, sumi ink and human beings all share these kinds of movements and patterns.
In my paintings I combine large forms of graded washes with detailed brush-work. This gives the art work both macro and micro elements of an intuited vision of reality, including my sense of the unseen worlds of sub-atomic particles and limitless space.
Working in dialogue with the sumi ink means the paintings are simultaneously mine but also alien. As a product of my interactions with the natural world they embody what I understand of it and can control , and also what I can not.
I also use script in my art work: English, Japanese phonetic script and Chinese characters. For me, text is another form of patterning. Living in Japan I am surrounded by a substantial amount of text I do not understand. It is foremost a visual impression and linguistic and cultural meanings usually come second.
The paintings are mounted in either East Asian or Western formats – vertical hanging scrolls, or panels and frames. I often work in series and I sometimes use hanging scrolls in sets of two or three.
Besides painting, I make artwork in a variety of media: collages, small sculptural pieces, photography and moving images.
Parallel to my studio art, I research and write about the sumi ink arts. I published a book “Japanese Calligraphy: The Art of Line and Space” in 1999 and “Sumi Workbook” in 2014. I regularly write articles for culture and calligraphy magazines.
| Education | |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Graduated Durham University. UK. Philosophy/Psychology Joint Honours |
| 1978 & 1986 | Colour theory and practice at Richmond College under Paule Le Breton |
| 1982-92 | Japanese calligraphy under Seika Kawabe (Mainichi Calligraphy Organization) |
| 1999-02 | Chinese ink painting with Chinese painter Li Geng, Kyoto University of Art and Design |
| 2002 | MA in Art Education, University of Surrey Roehampton |
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Exhibitions |
Solo and small group exhibitions include |
| 1988 | Solo exhibition. La Pola, Osaka. |
| 1991 | ‘Responses’ The Small Mansion Arts Centre. London. Japan Festival 1991. |
| 1993 | Solo exhibition. Gallery Nakai, Kyoto. |
| 1994 | Solo exhibition. The Roof Garden, The Lyric Hammersmith, London. |
| Solo exhibition. The Staircase Gallery, Kew Studio, London | |
| Solo exhibition. Kyoto International Community House. Kyoto. | |
| 1997 | Solo exhibition. Osaka Contemporary Arts Centre. Osaka. |
| 1998 | Solo exhibition. 5th Space, Kyoto. Supported by the British Council. |
| ‘Drawing Tea’. Six Women exhibition. Honen-in, Kyoto. Festival UK 98. | |
| 2000 | ‘Ex-Isles’. Six Women exhibition. Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, London. |
| 2001 | ‘Five Views of Japan’. Five Women exhibition. East Asian Art Museum, Bath. UK |
| 2002 | ‘Paths in Japan: Five European Artists’. Gallery Saoh & Tomos. Tokyo. Europe Week |
| 2003 | ‘Mosaic’. WAA exhibition. Kyoto. |
| Solo exhibition. Wall Gallery. Osaka | |
| 2004 | ‘What draws Us’ Five Women exhibition. Honen-in, Kyoto. |
| ‘Drawing the Line’ Selected group exhibition Orleans house Gallery, London | |
| 2005 | Collaboration exhibition with Chinese artist Li Geng, ‘Sumi Time’. Wall Gallery, Osaka |
| 2006 | ‘Stretch a Point, Draw a Line’ Five Women exhibition. Honen-in, Kyoto |
| 2007 | ‘Space Shifts’ Two person exhibition with Hiro Sato, Wall Gallery, Osaka |
| ‘Drawing East’ Five Women exhibition. Gallery Saoh Tomos, Tokyo | |
| 2007-2013 | Sho to Hisho no Kiwa (On the border of Sho and non Sho) JARFO, Kyoto |
| 2008 | ‘Being Here’ Two person exhibition with Hiro Sato. Gofusha Gallery, Nara |
| ‘Continuum’ Five Women exhibition. Honenin, Kyoto | |
| 2010 | ‘Sumi²’ Two Women Exhibition with Penny Robertson Sugihara, Space Kagiya, Kyoto |
| ‘Wind and Rocks’ Two person exhibition with Hiro Sato, Lotus Roots, Osaka | |
| ‘Revisiting the Tradition’ Two person exhibition with Hiro Sato, Art Promenade Nara 1300, Gofusha, Nara. | |
| 2010 – present | Kyoto Contemporary Ink Painting Exhibition |
| 2011 | ‘A Turning’ Solo Exhibition, Gallery Den Mym, Kyoto |
| 2012 | ‘The Grain of Nature’ Two person exhibition with Hiro Sato, Gofusha, Nara |
| 2013 – present | Sho to Hisho no Kiwa (On the border of Sho and non Sho) JARFO, Kyoto |
| 2014 | ‘Wordsworth and Basho: Walking Poets’ Wordsworth Museum and Gallery, UK |
| 2015 – 2018 | Light Up Show The old Soukoudou Iga Ueno, Mie |
| 2016 | 5 Person Exhibition Gallery Denmym Minamiyamashiro Mura, Kyoto |
| ‘Wordsworth and Basho: Walking Poets’ Kakimori Bunko, Osaka | |
| 2016 – present | Twelve Person Exhibition Takahama, Fukui |
| 2017 | ‘Encounters’ Four Person Exhibition Gallery Space Kagiya, Kyoto |
| Collaboration Exhibition with Traditional scroll mounter Shousaku Yoshimura Gallery DWS, Nara | |
| 2019 | Lacquer Exhibition Imai Cho, Nara, Invited Artist |
| Solo Exhibition Okagero, Ikoma | |
| 2020 | Kyoen:International Artists inspired by Kyoto The Terminal, Kyoto |
| Gakuenmae Art Festa Gakuen Mae, Nara | |
| 2022 | Kameoka Shiroato Art Exhibition Kameoka, Kyoto |
| Gakuenmae Art Festa 2022 Gakuen Mae, Nara | |
| 2023 | ‘A Place to Breathe’ Two person exhibition with Akemi Tanimoto Gallery Gofusha Nara |
| 2024 | Solo exhibition: small work, Gallery DWS, Nara City |
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Awards |
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| 1990 | Osaka Governor’s Prize in Calligraphy School Exhibition. |
| 1992 | International Cultural Association of Kyoto. Essay Prize. |
| 2010 | 24th Kyoto Art Festival International Exhibition of Art and Design, Chinese Consulate General Prize |
| 23rd International Kakyou Calligraphy Exhibition International Prize | |
| 2012 | Kyoto Contemporary Ink Painting Exhibition Fujinami Prize |
| 26th Kyoto Art Festival International Exhibition of Art and Design, Kyoto Newspaper Prize | |
| 2013 | 27th Kyoto Art Festival International Exhibition of Art and Design Kyoto City International Foundation Prize |
| 26th International Kakyou Calligraphy Exhibition Kyoto City Mayor’s Prize | |
| 2014 | Kyoto Contemporary Ink Painting Exhibition Ouka Prize |
| 2015 | Grand Prize Kyoto Contemporary Ink Painting Exhibition |
| 2015 | 28th International Kakyou Calligraphy Exhibition Special Art Prize |
| 2019 | Grand Prize Kyoto Contemporary Ink Painting Exhibition |
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Commissions |
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| 1991 | Alfred Plaut Co. Ltd., London. |
| 1999 | Design for stained glass window in St Philips and All Saints Church, North Sheen, London. |
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Collections |
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| West Middlesex Hospital, UK | |
| Sunderland Art and Design University, UK | |
| JARFO Kyoto Society for Inter-Art Exchange Japan | |
| Private Collections in Japan, UK, France, USA, Israel | |
| Gallery Gofusha | |
| Gallery Den Collection | |
| Design Work Studio Nara | |
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Publications |
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| 1994 | ‘Land of the Waning Moon’ in ‘Essays on Japan III,1988-1992’ Kyoto Intl. Cultural Assoc., Bunrikaku Publ. |
| 1999 | ‘Japanese Calligraphy: The Art of Line and Space’. Osaka: Kaifusha Publ. Supported by grants from the Japan Foundation and the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. |
| 2001 | ‘The Rise of Avant-Garde Calligraphy in Japan’ in ‘Spring Lines: Contemporary Calligraphy from East and West’ exhibition catalogue. Ditchling Museum, Brighton. April-June |
| 2003 | ‘Sumi’ in Letter Arts Review, Vol 18 #1. |
| 2004 | ‘Fude’ in Letter Arts Review, Vol 18 #4. |
| Illustrations Phantom City a CDRom of poetry by Jonathan Brewer | |
| 2005 | ‘The Four Treasures’ in Kyoto Journal # 61 |
| 2007 | ‘New Directions in Japanese Calligraphy: A small survey of independent and semi-independent calligraphers’ in Letter Arts Review Vol 22 # 2 |
| 2008 | ‘Kanteiryu’ in Letter Arts Review Vol 23 #1 |
| 2009 | ‘Tsubasa Kimura’ in Letter Arts Review Vol 23 #3 |
| ‘Japan-Belgium Letter Arts Exhibition: Line and Spirit’ in Letter Arts Review Vol 23 #4 | |
| 2010 | ‘Ishikawa Kyuyoh’ in Letter Arts Review Vol 24 #4 |
| 2011 | ‘Seal Carving in Japan’ in Letter Arts Review Vol 25 #3 |
| ‘The Restoration and Conservation of Japanese Calligraphy’ in Letter Arts Review Vol 26 #1 | |
| 2013 | ‘A Family of Mounters’ in Letter Arts Review Vol 27 #3 |
| 2014 | ‘The Nature and Experience of Sumi Arts’ Kyoto Journal #81 |
| ‘Sumi Workbook’ Kaifusha Publishing Company. Supported by Boku undo Sumi Manufacturers | |
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Related activities include |
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| 1991 | Sumi Workshops. Asahi Culture Centre, London. Japan Festival 1991 |
| 1993-03 | Member of Women’s Art Association. Kyoto. |
| 1996-2009 | External examiner for the International Baccalaureat examination in art and design |
| 2004 | Invited tutor ‘Breath, Spirit, Energy’ Writing Symposium, Sunderland, UK. |
| 2004-present | I hold sumi ink workshops regularly in the UK and Japan. |
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Reviews and Interviews |
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| 2008 | ‘Inking her own mark’ from The Japan Times 29/6/2008 |
 
‘Kiraku’, Vol 17 11/12 2008 |
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| 2011 | The review ‘A Turning’ by Patricia Fister ( International Research Center for Japanese Studies) ⇒ read review |
| 2013 | ‘Nara: Ancient Echoes 1,11’ produced by Hiro Minato, Design Work Studio, sponsored by Nara Prefectural Government |
| 2014 | ‘Wordsworth and Basho: Walking Poets’ exhibition catalogue |
| 2014 | ‘The Unexpected Delights of Brushed Black Ink’ Michael Lambe, Kyoto Journal #81 Christine Flint Sato Sumi Workbook Review in Kyoto Journal #81, Deep Kyoto |
| 2015 | ‘At Play with Brushed Black Ink’ Michael Lambe, Kansai Scene #177 p 23 |
| 2014 | ‘A Sumi Journey’ Alice Miyagawa, Kyoto Journal #79 |
| 2016 | Nara NHK TV “Nara Kore” Feb 3rd |
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| 2018 | Asahi Broadcasting Company TV “Cocoro” Oct 25 |
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| 2019 | Ikoma City Newsletter May 15 p36 |
| Kyoto Journal #94 | |
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| 2022 | Sumi Symposium produced by Nara SDGs Study Trips ‘Historical Nara and its diverse calligraphic culture look to the future’ (2022 February 17th) Invited Artist and Speaker |
| 2023 | January Invited Speaker J-LAF Webinar ‘Sumi ink and Me!’ (in English) |
| February Invited Speaker J-LAF Webinar ‘Sumi ink and Me!’ (in Japanese) | |
