WAYO

& The Culture of Renku

What is wayo?

• Distinct from Chinese-style
• Unique cultural style that reflects Japanese aesthetics
• Gentle, more delicate lines, softer

Chinese vs. Japanese Style

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Mi Fu, Song Dynasty Fujiwara no Teika, ”Superior Poems of Our Time”; late Heian/early Kamakura

Heian Period (794-1185)

• Gradual deepening of distinctively Japanese culture/aesthetic sensibility
• Advancements in literary arts
• Cursive kana emerged from the grass-script mode of kanji calligraphy
• Development of the onna-de (woman’s hand), or hiragana
• After this period, both kana and kanji were used
• Utmost care is concentrated in every detail of the works: graceful calligraphy, details of the paper, the rollers, even the wrapping cords

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From Muromachi to Edo

• Many calligraphic school lost their individuality and became stylized > calligraphy spread as more of a practical writing form > appeared in many aspects of life and culture
• Nostalgia for classical culture > collected and treasured through different social classes
• Emergence of kohitsu (classics)
• Dynamic, personalized approach
• Liberal combination of text and images by using large format kana and waka poetry scrolls

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The Culture of Renga and Renku

• Renga has had different meanings through history, but is essentially poems made of linked stanzas.
• These poems are usually written by two or more people, though masters and students have written solo renga for models or practice.
• Lengths can vary from just two stanzas to more than one thousand.
• In its heyday, there were 2 types ushin renga and mushin renga.
• Mushin renga > haikai no renga > Shofu haikai no renga > renku

Haiga

• Style of painting that incorporates haikai, a painting accompanied by a poem
• Typically painted by haiku poets
• Like the stanzas of haikai poems, the poem and painting are often linked
• Variety of artists with different approaches