Bring our “Arigato (Gratitude)” to connect the world in peace, love and hope Japanese Art Exhibition

[ArigaToTheWorld]

7th July 2022-13th July 2022 at Sway Gallery in London.

Masami Hiroe, the founder and chairman, Laughten Calligraphy Inc In Japan is in collaboration with Japanese film director Fumiko Irie and five London based Japanese artists will hold a  special art exhibition to convey the essence of Tanabata (Star Festival) and energy of Arigato (Gratitude) at Sway Gallery in London on 7th July.

In this art exhibition, we hold an event to decorate bamboo branches with “Arigato (Gratitude)” messages from all over the world in the hope that such a divided world will once again become a world filled with gratitude and joy.

Organizer &  New Experience Producer, Yuko Ito:

“Through the pandemic, I experienced not being able to meet up with my loved ones easily and freely in London, then I began to feel the importance of being in NOW. Arigato (Gratitude) in Japanese means gratitude which is a miracle. I realized we were all blessed with all miraculous existence. I had the idea that I would like to share the meaning of Arigato (Gratitude) with everyone in the world and circulate it.

So I organized an event called Tanzaku. I called on people all over the world to write the word ‘thank you’ in their own language and post it to London to decorate in a bamboo tree in this Art Exhibition. I believe that if we all believe in everything that is now here and miracle and then exchange gratitude all over the world, we become one with peace.

I lived in London for 4 years until the spring of 2022, and I really appreciated the people and experience I had in London and wanted to show my gratitude to London. I was wondering how I can return this gratitude back to London, then I came up with the idea of an ‘ArigaToTheWorld’ art exhibition. In this special exhibition, seven Japanese artists based in the UK and Japan will exhibit their artworks full of thoughts that express the theme “Thank you” from their respective perspectives and worldviews…”

Masami Hiroe, Calligraphy Artist/Founder of Laughter Calligraphy in Japan:

“Hello, I am a founder and chairman of Laughter Calligraphy in Japan.

Laguther Calligraphy is a communication art. The whole process of this art is to complete with writing and handing over to someone, therefore, it is important for me to create a simple pattern so that everyone can learn and write very easily and simply and hand over. 10 years later, I gradually became more particular about the expression of one line as an artist and I started to learn calligraphy art through art books and then create my own artworks which are completely different from Laughter Calligraphy. I just began to express my thoughts in one line without having any frame on a paper and then gradually played with it. Then, through my experience with Laughter Calligraphy and my calligraphy artworks, I realized that I just  wanted to express  feelings and thoughts within words. I had the opportunity to have an art exhibition in London, where I have not visited before. I am looking forward to being able to take on my new challenges, regardless of whether it is an unknown territory.”

Fumiko Irie, Film director, Corsage artist:

“As a film director, I work and get involved with  a lot of people and talk in front of them, but this time, as an artist, in the process of focusing on making corsages, I realized that I really like my own time too. In my  process of corsage, I start without any concept, frame and pattern. I have not got any plans at all. It is very unique that I combine beads one by one with tweezers and not symmetrical. It is a one point item for a person as there is no same item in the world.

A corsage that changes the person who wears it. A corsage that changes the person who sees the corsage, a corsage that makes you feel like dancing with joy when you put it on. I hope you come to see my unique corsage. Please come to the venue to see such a corsage.”