Hana Usui: Calligraphy and Abstraction at Galerie Oko

Hana Usui's exhibition at Galerie Oko in Berlin, from September 15 to November 17, 2007, showcases her transition from traditional Japanese calligraphy to abstract drawing. Trained in calligraphy from age six, Usui spent twenty years mastering the art before abandoning the written sign. Her work retains calligraphic principles—suggestion, irregularity, evanescence, and emptiness—but replaces characters with abstract lines. The artist enters a trance-like state while painting, and her compositions evoke musical scores or dance traces. Key pieces, such as the drawing referred to as 'La Ficelle,' remain open with cut edges, emphasizing imperfection and temporality. The exhibition highlights the tension between line and symbol that persists in her practice.