Japanese Calligraphy
25 July 2026 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
In this two-hour class, Japanese Shodo master Akemi Kauffmann will guide you through several foundational brush strokes and a select few kanji characters.
Shodo — The Way of Beautiful Writing
Shodo is one of Japan’s oldest and most profound art forms, developed and revered since the 5th century. More than calligraphy, it is a practice of presence — a meeting of skill, aesthetics, and inner stillness, where brush and ink become an expression of the state of mind behind them.
At the heart of Shodo is the principle of Mushin — 無心 — the state of no-mind. No thoughts, no disturbance, only a quiet concentration that we might recognise today as meditation. The beauty of Shodo is inseparable from this stillness. It cannot be rushed or forced. It arrives when the mind is clear.
In this two-hour class, Japanese Shodo master Akemi Kauffmann will guide you through several foundational brush strokes before moving into a select few kanji characters. You will leave with your own piece of beautiful writing to take home and frame.
No experience is required — only a willingness to slow down.
Akemi has been teaching Japanese calligraphy for over 20 years, including at the University of Oxford.
Classes are available on their own or as a set of six for £210, to be used within one year of the first class.