Held exhibitions of its collection, such as “Contemporary Calligraphy on Decorated Paper” and “Kanji You Can Feel.” Through themed displays of calligraphic works in its collection, the museum reveals the history of contemporary “sho” (calligraphy) as it has unfolded with Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum as a stage.
A look at contemporary calligraphy’s development shows it to have evolved into brushwork created and displayed as exhibition art, as a result of its regular display in the “art museum” context. This exhibition highlights the emotion expressed in contemporary calligraphy, along with the artists’ thoughts and stories related to their works. Pieces are displayed according to the key emotions “ki do ai raku”—joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. Featured, along with pieces in the museum collection, are works from the Nakamura Sodo collection at the Edo-Tokyo Museum. The exhibition demonstrates the variety intrinsic to contemporary calligraphy and traces the paths taken by calligraphers in their pursuit of contemporary “sho.”