About this Event
Japanese Sumi-e (Ink-painting) workshop for beginner and intermediate level
The theme for this class is the Asian Dragon (ryū), one of the most powerful subjects in East Asian ink painting. Unlike the fire-breathing dragons of Western legend, the dragon of Japan and its neighbors is a guardian spirit of water and sky, associated with rain, clouds, and good fortune, and it has been painted on temple ceilings and folding screens for centuries. Students will learn to capture the dragon's energy with bold, sweeping brushstrokes, from its expressive face to its coiling body and claws, exploring the full range of sumi-e from dark, decisive lines to soft gradations of gray.
“If we study Japanese art, we see a man who is undoubtedly wise, philosophic and intelligent, who spends his time doing what? He studies a single blade of grass.” —Vincent van Gogh
Sumi-e, also called Suibokuga, is the art of ink wash-painting. Characteristically an East Asian art, it has been practiced for well over a thousand years. Sumi-e depicts the spirit or essence of an object or scene rather than its outward appearance — and does so in the fewest possible strokes. Because of this simplicity, the painter's character and personality come through in his/her work. In both viewing and creating, Sumi-e is a very contemplative form of painting.
In this class at RESOBOX, a Japanese cultural center in New York, all students will start from the basics of ink-wash painting, such as how to hold a brush. All materials such as ink, brushes, and calligraphy paper will be provided. No previous painting experience is required.
About the Instructor
Kohfu Furukawa 古川香風 (a.k.a. Ayakoh Furukawa-Leonart) is a New York–based visual artist originally from Japan. Her practice bridges traditional Japanese art and Western art, shaped by a unique cross-cultural background.
She has practiced calligraphy from an early age with calligrapher Nakamura Goseki（中村悟石）, Buddhist monk Kashimoto Sougyu（樫本桑牛）and later studied sumi-e with Sumi-e Master Shibuta Tenyu（澁田天游）. After relocating to the United States, she deepened her engagement with sumi-e through exchanges with American Sumi-e artists and her involvement with the Metro New York Sumi-e Society.
Kohfu has taught sumi-e at RESOBOX, Kennedy International School, the Japan Society, and Brooklyn Museum of Art, as well as in corporate cultural workshops and programs introducing Japanese Sumi-e to broader audiences. Drawing on both Eastern and Western art traditions, she has developed an understanding of effective approaches to teaching American students.
She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Hunter College, City University of New York, where she also studied Asian Art History and Buddhism. In addition to her practice in sumi-e, she is active as a multidisciplinary artist and continues to expand the possibilities of Sumi-e as a contemporary art form. Her contemporary artworks have been exhibited internationally.
She currently serves as President of the Japanese Artists Association of New York, Inc.
Member of International Sumi-e Association Tokyo, Japan
PLEASE NOTE: The class sign up deadline is 2 hours before the class begins. Cancellation after this period will NOT be refunded.
Event venue & nearby stays
RESOBOX East Village, 91 East 3rd Street, New York, United States
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