Maki as a Calligrapher
Maki Kimura is not only a collaborative pianist but also a Japanese calligrapher.
She began studying traditional Japanese calligraphy in childhood. As an award-winning artist, she exhibited her work in Japan as a member of the calligraphy group Hakuho-Sha. After moving to the United States, she paused her calligraphy practice to focus on piano. In 2023, marking the 20th anniversary of her immigration, she resumed her artistic work under the art name Kan-sei (感靜) and founded KAN-SEI LLC, a company dedicated to showcasing her calligraphy. She is also a certified instructor with the Ryutai Futomani Calligraphy Association, a respected organization rooted in Japan’s ancient kamiyo moji (divine era characters).
For her, piano and calligraphy are equally essential modes of self-expression. Her creative work transcends genre and geography, continually evolving with the passage of time.
Artist Statement
From one solitary soul to another
In Japanese culture, a gagō is a particular kind of art name—an expression of the artist’s inner spirit and aesthetic philosophy.
My gagō, Kan-sei (感靜), means “a soul that resonates with silence.”
In Japanese, the word kansei has many homophones, each imbued with a different nuance. It can mean sensitivity (感性), completion (完成), inertia (慣性), a voice that rises naturally from emotion (感声), or serene stillness (閑静), among others. Of these meanings, my gagō, “感靜” (Kan-sei), represents my way of being and the nature of my work.
It is not merely a surrender to stillness, but a way of being—one that perceives a lingering resonance within silence, and responds to it.
In a world overwhelmed by noise and haste, the faint stirrings of the heart, delicate sounds, and soft shadows are easily drowned out by louder, stronger forces—and by a culture that glorifies positivity as the ultimate good.
Yet within my own world, I live with silence’s beauty, darkness’s depth, and the quiet grace of resonance.
Out of deep respect for Japanese tradition, I choose my materials with intention, never compromising on their authenticity.
My work extends beyond traditional washi paper and ink. I also write on hand-dyed hemp cloth using pure gold and silver, employing these materials to embody ancient sacred prayers and words that have resonated with my soul. For every piece, I use ink prepared with sacred water I draw myself from a Shinto shrine with over three thousand years of history.
May my work meet the silence and shadow within you—as one solitary soul to another—and find resonance in the innermost depths of your heart.
