During Her childhood in Japan, Satomi Yoshida-Katz discovered a special interest and talent in Shodo, the art of Japanese calligraphy. Her training began at age four and continues today through a private calligraphy school in Fukuoka, Japan. She has received gold medal awards for traditional Shodo in numerous Japanese calligraphy competitions in Kyushu Island, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. Today, her work goes beyond expressing the formal elements of order and form that are an essential part of traditional calligraphy. Satomi enters the world of Sumi, using brush strokes and wash painting techniques to create tones and textures. Satomi’s belief that every space and everything in our lives has meaning is reflected in her art, which is inspired by nature, sounds, and emotions. The organic world is an important component of her work, as evidenced by her choices of tools and mediums. Her papers are handmade Japanese rice papers and recycled papers. Her brushes are horsehair and wool. Organic pigments include natural vegetable dye powders, traditional Sumi inks, and charcoal fashioned from carbonized woods.
