"I feel connected to the gods, and I'm focused on expressing the meaning of the characters." Yukiko Nishimura Yukiko Nishimura is an artist, calligrapher, designer and business owner. She is an internationally recognized dress designer and the official designer for Miss International and Miss Earth. She also owns a wedding dress company called "Ar. Yukiko ". She continues to encourage and inspire people with her artistic talents. In this issue of TRiCERA, we will introduce Ms. Nishimura's calligraphy works. In this interview, we will have an exclusive look at Ms. Nishimura's background, the Chinese characters she uses, and her connection to the gods. Kanji used by Mr. Nishimura Connection with the gods Nishimura's calligraphy works Where to buy Yukiko Nishimura's art Kanji used by Nishimura "This is the original form of kanji used in Japan today." Yukiko Nishimura's Fortune I have never seen anyone drawing ancient kanji calligraphy. How did you get started? I fell in love with it when I met a calligraphy teacher who drew only ancient kanji. After that, I started to study and create my own original works. What are ancient kanji? Ancient Chinese characters were used in ancient China around 3200 B.C., before the invention of paper, and are the original form of Chinese characters used in Japan today. In ancient China, rulers received oracles, and ancient Chinese characters were carved on animal bones and turtle shells. Dragon" by Yukiko Nishimura What do you find attractive about it? Because they are hieroglyphs, even people who cannot read kanji can understand the meaning. Also, since they are related to shamanism, people who have my calligraphy works often say that they have divine power and that they change the atmosphere of a room. Connection with the Gods "These experiences have allowed me to paint calligraphy that I believe carries a sacred power." What emotions do you feel when you are doing calligraphy? I feel a connection with the gods and focus on expressing the meaning of the letters. The uniqueness of my work lies in the elegant yet powerful brushstrokes that express the letters as if the gods are present in the calligraphy. What does it mean to you to paint ancient Chinese characters today? For seven years, from the age of 16 to 22, I worked as a shrine maiden at a shrine. I also studied Shintoism and Shamanism at a university that has educated 80% of the chief priests of shrines in Japan. I feel a strong connection with God and feel that I have been able to have conversations with God as I work. This experience has allowed me to draw calligraphy, which I believe carries a sacred power. Flower" by Yukiko Nishimura Nishimura's calligraphy works "I choose to draw characters that will have a positive impact on the lives of those who see my work." She is currently a dress designer, an entrepreneur of a wedding dress company, and an artist. Are there any elements from these experiences that you incorporate into your calligraphy work? I believe that originality is necessary in both design and contemporary art. Also, my calligraphic works convey my own worldview and cannot be imitated. How do you decide which characters to draw? I draw characters that can have a positive impact on the lives of those who see them. What kind of people buy your calligraphy works? People who want to bring good luck to improve their performance, such as large investors who have invested billions of yen, or athletes who have represented Japan in the World Cup. These people seem to want to possess light (光), god (神), and good fortune (福). Where to buy works by Yukiko Nishimura TRiCERA has many of Yukiko Nishimura's calligraphy works on display. To learn more about this up-and-coming Japanese artist, please visit our Contemporary Art page.