We often hear that traditional Japanese art is rather inaccessible, that people, feeling they could not understand it, give up without trying to explore it. Our response is a series of exhibitions to address key points in understanding Japanese art, in an attempt to overcome that barrier. Many, for example, tend to avoid Japanese calligraphy because they cannot read it. In Technique and Expression in Traditional Japanese Art: Decorated Papers, the second of our introductory series, we focus instead on the paper on which calligraphy is written and their decorations.
　The exhibition describes the wide variety of decorative techniques, with colors, gold and silver, and glittering mica, applied to these papers. Focusing on works from our collection, we present examples use in paintings as well as calligraphy.
　We hope that this opportunity will enable visitors to experience calligraphy as a more approachable art form and to deepen their appreciation of traditional Japanese art.