…worth a thousand words

“His calligraphy is strong, unconventional, and enthralling in its directness. Much of Suda’s calligraphy reflects his study of Zen, and the writings of the master Dogen (1200-1253) in the Zen classic Shobogenzo (Treasury of the True Dharma Eye). To Dogen, the practice of meditating was not merely a means to an end of Enlightenment but was the practice of Enlightenment itself. The idea can be expressed approximately as follows: while one meditates, concentrating on concepts, letting go of subjectivity and allowing for pure apprehension of the object of concentration is a form of Enlightenment, which must be repeated constantly through the practitioner’s lifetime. Suda claimed to want to express himself like a child. As such, he approached the ink and paper with pure emotion and intensity, apparently without the diluting overlay of subjectivity that comes with life experience.”