Did you know that Japanese calligraphy is experiencing a surge in popularity in its home country? I think every couple years or so people get tired of being pounded by overseas influences, and thus turns their eyes back onto one of their own traditional gems. But helping calligraphy muster a new following are several young and creative artists who have pumped fresh air into an otherwise stale art.

楚の風 (Graceful Wind) by Daizo Kaneko

鳳 (Phoenix) by Daiei Mori

There is so much going on in these text-based works but what I find most awe-inspiring is how they are so deconstructed, yet the essence of the characters and their meaning remains ever so clear!