Baikei Uehira (上平梅径), born Tatsuyoshi Uehira (June 28, 1964) in

Izumisano Izumisano ( ja, 泉佐野市, Latn, ja, Izumisano-shi, ) is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 98,840 in 47658 households and a population density of 1700 persons per km². The total area of the c ...

, Japan, is a master calligrapher and teacher as well as president of the
Seisho Calligraphy Association
' in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

. Originally pursuing calligraphy only for the love of writing, he has gone on to develop new pathways and styles of traditional Japanese calligraphy through collaborations, art

shodo also called is a form of calligraphy, or artistic writing, of the Japanese language. Written Japanese was originally based on Chinese characters only, but the advent of the hiragana and katakana Japanese syllabaries resulted in intrins ...

, and live performances. Uehira is considered a pioneer of live calligraphy and continues to create innovative works with hopes of expanding interest in Japanese writing to others.

Biography

Early years

At age 6, Uehira began calligraphy classes at school as do most Japanese students. Unlike most children however, he loved calligraphy from day one and continued attending classes through high school. After high school Uehira performed live as a vocalist for the rock band 零夢 (0 Dream). Though music was one of his passions, he decided that he could not support himself with music alone and determined that it was time to begin serious calligraphy study at university. Shortly thereafter, he took his calligraphy college entrance exam but was rejected both the first and second years that he applied. After more than one year of doing menial jobs Uehira at last was able to enter professional Japanese calligraphy school in Tokyo. While studying Chinese and Japanese calligraphy, Japanese literature,

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...

interpretation, etc., Uehira practiced fervently, bundling pages in an old cloth to carry them to and from school. Inspired by Kūkai (空海) he dreamed of creating innovative works to inspire future generations. Though the young Uehira put great effort into his studies, many teachers felt his work was poor. Desperately he approached teacher and mentor Kyoshuu Mochizuki with his work. Master calligrapher Mochizuki carefully reviewed each sheet of Uehira's writing, offering words of advice. The budding artist was moved to tears and was motivated to amplify his efforts. Due to a somewhat mysterious event at age 22, a scarred Uehira returned to Osaka. Devastated and unmotivated, he began working at a calligraphy supply shop just to stay busy. A calligraphy teacher who was a frequent customer invited Uehira to train with him, which turned out to be a huge blessing. Uehira did so for eight years at the most well-known calligraphy group in

Kansai The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshu, Honshū. The region includes the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Nara Prefecture, Nara, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka Prefectur ...

Establishment of the Seisho Calligraphy Association

At age 29, making the most of his training, Uehira established and became president of his own calligraphy association, 青霄 (''Seisho''), "cloudless blue sky". He has gone on to found schools in Osaka (

Namba is a district of Osaka, Japan. It is located in Chūō and Naniwa wards. Namba is regarded as the center of so-called ''Minami'' ("South") area of Osaka. Its name is one of variations on the former name of Osaka, '' Naniwa''. Namba is be ...

Shinsaibashi is a district in the Chūō-ku ward of Osaka, Japan and the city's main shopping area. At its center is , a covered shopping street, that is north of Dōtonbori and Sōemonchō, and parallel and east of Mido-suji street. Associated with Shins ...

, and

Umeda is a major commercial, business, shopping and entertainment district in Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, and the city's main northern railway terminus (Ōsaka Station, Umeda Station). The district's name means "plum field". History Umeda was historical ...

) and continues to teach, perform, and lecture. Uehira currently lives with his wife Seikei (also a calligrapher) and three children in the Kansai area. Currently more than 2,000 students study under them.

Career and activity in calligraphy

Awards

* 2007
Mainichi Calligraphy Exhibition
top prize * 2010 - Mainichi Calligraphy Exhibition promoted to ranking member * 2014
Dokuritsu Calligraphy Exhibition
top prize * 2018 - Dokuritsu Calligraphy Exhibition promoted to judge * 2020 - Mainichi Calligraphy Exhibition promoted to judge * 2020 - Became Representative Director at Japanese Culture & Art Association

Calligraphy art

* 1997 -

Umeda Sky Building The is the nineteenth-tallest building in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. It consists of two 40-story towers that connect at their two uppermost stories, with bridges and an escalator crossing t ...

''Kuuchuuteien'' (aerial garden) exhibition; a collaboration project of calligraphy and flower arrangement ''Shokasanran'' with teachers from CB International Flower Arrangement College * 1998 - Calligraphy for TV commercial ''Kiku Masamune'', titled「一」one * 2000 - Calligraphy on a large scale Japanese fan for an event at Osaka Kourakuen Hotel * 2000 - Guest appearance for Shoukyokusai Kotenshou's live event at Yoshimoto Enterprise Waha Kamigata * 2000 - Live calligraphy for ‘Kobe requiem’ (lyric writer: Maho Okamoto) on the Kobe Liner passenger ship; the piece was created to be housed at the Hokudanchou Earthquake Memorial Hall on Awaji Island * 2001 - Appearance on ''Sutekina Furusato'' Yume Tanbou TV Osaka * 2002 - ''Hana No Iro Wa Utsurini Kerina'' live stage calligraphy event at Umeda Daimaru Osaka * 2002 - ''Yume'' (dream) live event at Umeda Daimaru Osaka * 2005 - Exhibition of classic calligraphy works fo
Osaka City Art Museum
* 2006 - Calligraphy used in the opening of

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's TV show of new comedians titled ''Owarai Shinjin Grand Prix'' * 2007 - Appearance for ''Annta Kakkoeena Sukina Dake Yari and Bou'' TV commercial * 2007 - 「響」 (''hibiki'') writing for the opening title of ‘Artist Special’ on

SKY PerfecTV! is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service that provides satellite television, audio programming and interactive television services to households in Japan, owned by parent company SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation The SKY Perfect JSAT Group is ...

* 2008 - New Year card workshop sponsored by

Japan Post was a Japanese statutory corporation that existed from 2003 to 2007, offering postal and package delivery services, Retail banking, banking services, and life insurance. It's the nation's largest employer, with over 400,000 employees, and run ...

* 2009 - Live writing on ''shikishi'' (small drawing boards used for poetry) at ''Shinsaibashi Dekimonoshou Exhibition'' in Daimaru * 2009 - Calligraphy at Mikag
Yuzuruha Shrine
s ''Hanabira Festival'' * 2010 - Performance at the 1000 guest opening of the

Imperial Hotel, Tokyo The is a hotel in Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda ward, Tokyo. It was created in the late 1880s at the request of the Japanese aristocracy to cater to the increasing number of Western visitors to Japan. The hotel site is located just south of the Impe ...

* 2010 - Performance and exhibition of works at Kyoto ''Kokusai Kouryuu Kaikann'' * 2011 - Live writing at Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai * 2011 - Performance a
Granvia Hotel in Kyoto
* 2012 - Guest appearance on Ameagari Show Club * 2012 - Performance at

Swissôtel Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, commonly known as Swissôtel, is a Swiss chain of luxury hotels which operates 37 properties in 17 countries. The chain is owned by Accor, which acquired FRHI Hotels & Resorts in 2015. The corporate offices for Swiss ...

for Nikkei public listing celebrations * 2012 - Calligraphy for Geidankyo Kansai Council * 2012 -

Ehime is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,342,011 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Tokush ...

Cultural Festival performance in Osaka * 2012 - Appeared on "Yoidon" show,

Kansai TV JODX-DTV, virtual channel 8 ( UHF digital channel 17), branded as or , is the Kansai region key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and Fuji Network System (FNS), operated by the . Kansai TV is a company affiliated in Hankyu Hanshin Holdin ...

* 2013 - Guest appearance on Hotnet * 2013 - USA tour to Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles (included 2 live performances for the

Japan Foundation The was established in 1972 by an Act of the National Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture, and became an Independent Administrative Institution under the jurisdiction of the Ministry o ...

) * 2013 - Guest appearance on

Yomiuri TV JOIX-DTV (channel 10), branded as , is the Kansai region flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned by the subsidiary of the eponymous Yomiuri Shimbun#Yomiuri Group, Yomi ...

"Sumatan ZIP" * 2014 - Performance and workshop a
Plaza Club in Honolulu
Hawaii * 2014 - Wrote a 100-foot scroll a
First Friday
art event in Honolulu, Hawaii * 2014 - Two live shows at Waikiki

Marriott Marriott may refer to: People *Marriott (surname) Corporations * Marriott Corporation, founded as Hot Shoppes, Inc. in 1927; split into Marriott International and Host Marriott Corporation in 1993 * Marriott International, international hotel ...

Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii * 2014 - Performance and workshop at

Honolulu Museum of Art The Honolulu Museum of Art (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts) is an art museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. The museum is the largest of its kind in the state, and was founded in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke. The museum has one of the largest single col ...

School in Honolulu, Hawaii * 2014 - Live writing for

Nikko Securities SMBC Nikko Securities (SMBC日興証券株式会社) is a securities firm in Japan which engages in the operation of large-scale comprehensive securities broking and trading services. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Tokyo, ...

ceremony in Tokyo * 2014 - Workshop a
Galleria Arte Giappone
in Milano, Italy * 2014 - Performance/workshop at

Castrocaro Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole ( rgn, Castruchèira or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Forlì-Cesena in the Italy, Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southwest of Forlì. The ''comu ...

Medieval Fortress * 2014 - Performance/workshop at

Japan Expo Japan Expo is a convention on Japanese popular culture - the largest of its kind in the world - taking place in Paris, France, although it has branched out into a partnership festival - Kultima - and expanded to include some European and US pop c ...

in Paris * 2015 - Presented artwork to world heritage Kudoyama City (Ichiganji Temple) * 2015 - Chamber of Commerce event hosted by Mihana Keiya * 2015 - Calligraphy performances for Ai Matsuri in Java and Sumatra * 2015 - Paper door writing ceremony at Fukichin Temple,

Mount Koya Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

* 2015 - Performance for sister city governments of Izumisano and Shanghai * 2015
Dokuritsu
Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan * 2015 - Mainichi Newspaperbr>Exhibition
national showing * 2015 - Big brush workshop at th

* 2016 - Performance and workshop for Gyokuzan Kikumoto in Taipei, Taiwan * 2016 - Presented works t
Tengard Holdings
in Hong Kong * 2016 - Donated works t

Temple in Wakayama, Japan * 2016 - Performed at G7 Summit in

Tsukuba is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 244,528 in 108,669 households and a population density of 862 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 20.3%. The total ar ...

, Japan * 2016 -

National Palace Museum The National Palace Museum (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Kwet-li̍p kù-kiung pok-vu̍t-yèn), is a museum in Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan). It has a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts and artworks, many of which wer ...

in Taipei, Taiwan performance * 2017 - TV appearance on Tatakae! Sports Naikaku * 2017
Embassy of Japan
performance in Prague, CZ * 2017
Venezia Oriental Museum
performance & workshop * 2018
Galaxy Macau
performance & workshop * 2018 - Taiwan performances at

Chaotian Temple The Chaotian or Chaotien Temple, officially the Chao-Tian Temple,. & is a temple to the Chinese Goddess Mazu in Beigang Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan. Constructed in 1700, it became one of the most important Mazu temples in Taiwan and is ...

Guandu Temple The Guandu Temple () is a prominent Chinese temple in Beitou District of Taipei, Taiwan, dedicated the Goddess Mazu. History The temple was originally constructed in 1712. It was also known as Lingshan Temple due to its location at Mount Ling.. ...

, and

Lintianshan Forestry Culture Park The Lintianshan Forestry Culture Park () is a former lumber town in Fenglin Township, Hualien County, Taiwan. History Forestry began in the area since 1918 with a name of Morisaka. The park was originally the ground for logs processing area f ...

* 2019 - Japanese Culture Festival performance in Hanoi, Vietnam * 2019 -

Hotel Okura is a luxury hotel opened in 1962 in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is operated by Okura Hotels and was a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. The historic main wing was demolished in 2015, with a modern replacement on the site opened in 2019, re ...

performance & workshop in Amsterdam, NL * 2019
Centro Studi d’Arte Estremo-Orientale
Bologna lecture & workshop * 2019 - Sabadell Design College lecture & workshop * 2019
APU Malaysia University
workshops * 2019 - Reiwa writing at Sumiyoshi Shrine * 2020 - Performance & workshop a
Hrvatski kulturni dom na Sušaku
in Rijeka, Croatia

Calligraphy collaboration

* 1999 - Live calligraphy with flamenco guitarist Jirou Yoshikawa at WTC Cosmo Tower * 2001 - Appearance at Jazz Show writing: ''Yume Haruka, Ai Eien, and Kotobuki'' a
Takarazuka Hotel
* 2002 - Collaboration with ''iwabue'' (traditional stone flute) at Mikage Yuzuruha Shrine in Kobe * 2002 - Collaboration with shamisen, percussion, and dance at Yoshimoto Enterprise Waha Kamigata * 2003 - Joint live event with shakuhachi and sitar at Mikage Yuzuruha Shrine in Kobe * 2003 - Live writing of ''Fuusetsuenbu'' with music, and imagery * 2004 - Calligraphy performance for a Seizan Ichikawa ''shamisen'' lecture a
Suita Mei
Theater * 2005 - Guest appearance for a tandem event with acclaimed shamisen artist Kubosan at ''Taikoen'' in Kyobashi, Osaka * 2006 - Large calligraphy at Seizan Ichikawa's ''Kokera Otoshi Concert'' at Nishinomiya Geijutsu Bunka Hall * 2006 - Performance for a New Year celebration at Westin Hotel Awaji * 2006 - Collaboration with clarinetist Hariyamasan at Kobe Hotel * 2006 - Big brush writing for the program titled ''Voice'', (with Hiroshi Kubo playing ''tsugaru shamisen'') an

MBS MBS may refer for: People * Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985), crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia * Mohan Bikram Singh (born 1935), Nepalese politician Places * MBS International Airport (IATA code: MBS), Freeland, Michigan, US * Mari ...

News special program * 2007 - Performing live for

NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestri ...

TV show ''Motto Motto Kansai'' * 2007 - Teaching with newscaster Yoko Suka of YTV News's ''New Scramble'' * 2008 - Performing live for NHK TV show ''News Terrace'' * 2008 - Performing live for Kansai TV show ''News Anchor'' * 2008 - Appearance on ABC TV show ''Ohayou'' * 2008 - Writing in TV commercial for ''Hankyu Sanbangai'' * 2009 - Writing New Year cards for a Kansai TV 「美」 (beauty) program * 2009 - Performance collaborating with ''

wadaiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming m ...

'' (Japanese drums) at ''Watashi No Shigotokan'' in Kyoto * 2009 - Teaching calligraphy to Yuuichi Wazumi of MBS's ''Eenaa'' * 2010 - Collaborating on big brush calligraphy with Naomi Matsushima for TV show ''Kirakira Afro'' * 2010 - Hanshinsan writing for a TV commercial at 「廣斉堂」 studio * 2010 - Calligraphy for TV commercial titled ''

Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

Tsuchi De Taku'' * 2011 - Performance with dancer Mihana Keiya and shamisen artist Seizan Ichikawa * 2012 - Art fundraiser for

Fukushima may refer to: Japan * Fukushima Prefecture, Japanese prefecture ** Fukushima, Fukushima, capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan ***Fukushima University, national university in Japan *** Fukushima Station (Fukushima) in Fukushima, Fukushim ...

victims in Mino, Japan * 2012 - Live with calligrapher Raikei at Suita Mei Theater Main Hall * 2013 - Donated works to Kobe Ginga Club Magazine * 2013 - Live show for

Chiayi Chiayi (, Taigi POJ: ''Ka-gī''; ), officially known as Chiayi City, is a city located in the plains of southwestern Taiwan. Formerly called ''Kagee'' during the late Qing dynasty and ''Kagi'' during the Japanese era (), its historical name i ...

City Cultural Festival in Taiwan * 2013 - Live collaboration at

world heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Kasuga Taisha is a Shinto shrine in Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It is the shrine of the Fujiwara family, established in 768 CE and rebuilt several times over the centuries. The interior is famous for its many bronze lanterns, as well as the many stone lant ...

Shrine with bushido master Umeda Masami in Nara, Japan * 2013 - Shamisen creative dance collaboration in Bangkok, Thailand * 2013 - Calligraphy collaboration with

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

on Yomiuri TV's "Sukkiri" show　 * 2014 - Body art collaboration and exhibition wit
Chanel Tanaka
in Honolulu, Hawaii * 2014 - Collaboration with tattoo artist Richie Lucero at CoXist Studio Honolulu, Hawaii * 2014 - Live collaboration and exhibition with Persian/Arab calligrapher Arash Shirinbab in Oakland, USA * 2015 - Participated in the 5th

International Exhibition of Calligraphy International Exhibition of Calligraphy (russian: Междунаро́дная вы́ставка каллигра́фии) — a project organized by Museum of Calligraphy, Contemporary museum of calligraphy, with the support of the Museum-educat ...

in Moscow * 2015 - Gallery showing with ceramics master Banjoya Takeshi * 2015 - Collaboration with fiddler Hidenori Omori * 2015 - Collaboration with swordsman Umeda Masami at

Himuro Shrine Himuro Shrine (氷室神社, ''Himuro Jinja'') is a Shinto shrine in Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 710. Kami enshrined here include Emperor Nintoku , also known as was the 16th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditio ...

* 2015 - Collaboration with shamisen artist Kubo Hiroshi * 2016 - Performed with Umeda Masami, Kubo Hiroshi, Seizan Ichikawa, and Okamoto Maho at Kobe'
Kitano Garden
* 2017 - Culture collaboration at

Mainichi Broadcasting System , or MBS, is a radio and television broadcasting company headquartered in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network (JRN), National Radio Network (NRN), Japan News Network (JNN) and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. It i ...

* 2018 - Stage show ‘Washoi’ at

National Bunraku Theater The is a complex consisting of two halls and an exhibition room, located in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The complex was opened in 1984 as the fourth national theatre of the country, to become the headquarters of bunraku. History The Japan Arts C ...

in Osaka, Japan * 2019
Takakamo Jinja
(高鴨神社) event with

The Blue Hearts was a Japanese punk rock band active from 1985 to 1995. They have been compared to such bands as the Sex Pistols, The Clash and the Ramones.

drummer Kajiwara Tetsuya an
Okano Hiroki
* 2020 - Niutsuhime-jinja (丹生都比売神社) restoration project with painter Tamura Shigeru

References

External links

English Homepage
* Uehira Baikei / Seisho Calligraphy Association fficial website -公式サイト
Japanese Homepage
* 上平梅径 / 青霄書法会 fficial website -公式サイト {{DEFAULTSORT:Uehira, Baikei Living people 1964 births People from Izumisano