Calligraphy Symposium in 2008

The participants of last year’s symposium were asked two questions: Firstly, why they chose calligraphy and secondly, why they selected Kankaanpää? Here’s what they answered.

Roger Hobdell, doctor, London, 7 years calligraphy

 Why calligraphy?

- I want to combine it with images, like in Chinese and Japanese painting. I want to make western script go with western drawing and etchings.

Why Kankaanpää?

- I know Veiko in London, and I know the work of Thomas Ingmire. I come here because it’s not English. And it’s wonderful here, everybody is so friendly!

Emiko Hashiguchi, London (Miyazaki, Japan), works in a stationary company, 10 years calligraphy

Why calligraphy?

- I just enjoyed doing it. Calligraphy takes me to another world, and I could change myself to what I couldn’t imagine before. The more I do calligraphy, the more I find things – I can see more things more widely and deep. We meet a lot of calligraphers and speak with them, and we feel how they are and how they are living and sincerely doing calligraphy. I’m impressed – it’s not only the calligraphy, but their attitude to the calligraphy.

Why Kankaanpää?

I was studying here with Denis (Brown) in 2006, and I wanted to come back. The atmosphere is very friendly. There’s nothing here but calligraphy, and can concentrate on it. There are great workshops around the world, but I can relax in this symposium, it’s different for me.

Lucy Baron, art therapist, London, 10 years calligraphy

Why calligraphy?

I’ve been studying in London around 10 years, on and off, part time classes. I work in the art world, I’m a therapist. We teach the people how to make cards which go to charity shop, and I’ve made the greetings inside. And I’m doing this for my own work, too - to experiment, to combine calligraphy with art.

Why Kankaanpää?

I have Veiko as a teacher in London. It’s good for advanced students to have more than 3 hours a day. I don’t choose Finland because it’s Finland but because Veiko has managed to get really good teachers. And this is an art school, there’s space and light – it’s convenient. In London no art school will give space for people from outside. I think it’s welcoming, sociable is very good. In Britain and Germany there is competition in the classes.

I don’t want to go against teacher but I like people to free themselves, to do something they’ve done other way, experiment. Sally (Mae Joseph) calls it journey. Later on, it does sink in what you do.

Jani Komulainen, teacher, Oulu, Finland, 20 years calligraphy

Why calligraphy?

- All began in the darkest end of southern Lapland, Ranua. In the library there was a book on calligraphy. There I started, with the eagerness of a young lad to do textura. Textura because it was the finest thing ever! It was the end of 80’s, and I was in the secondary school.

- I wrote with a marker pen. When I got a new pen, it was the finest possible thing, then, because it was so much better!

Why Kankaanpää?

- I educated myself teacher and began to teach English at a folk high school. There I was told that I could possibly have calligraphy classes, too. I got inspired to search information on where I could learn more. Kankaanpää seems to be the best and versatile place to study calligraphy in Finland. I’ve got really much from here. When I started attending the classes, this has been the finest thing as calligrapher!

I like to experience different teachers, to get new ideas with new people. You can learn just by looking around and asking from fellow students, too. And it’s international! I’m not anymore the most exotic one from far away. There are people even from Japan here. I got even help for translation from Japanese!

Waula Ruskee, practical nurse, arts and crafts instructor, Lavia, 6 years calligraphy

Why calligraphy?

I’ve always been interested in beautiful letters and what you can do with them. I’ve written poems by hand, enjoyed of handwriting. Then I got the dream to study it. I have studied here from year 2002, now I study in the adult education Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Fine Arts.

Why Kankaanpää?

It’s so near! And this is a happening where you can meet others who are interested in the same theme. You learn something new every time – a new world again! It’s never ending learning.