Master calligraphist Shoyo Mizuno has been commissioned by Pompei A.D. to create a series of modern calligraphic works on five hand-made sheets of Japanese paper. Once completed, the work will be displayed in Pompei A.D.’s new office space. Several years ago, Ron Pompei found these papers at the Bergamot Station art galleries in Santa Monica, California, and was struck by their large size (they range from 3’- 6’to 3’- 9’). Appreciating the intricate craft of paper making, Ron saved the papers for a work that would speak to their uniqueness and authenticity.

Watching Mizuno work in the C3 Gallery, I am fascinated by the exaggerated method of her creative process. Enormous brushes drowned in rich black Sumi ink penetrate the off-white papers in excess. In between each oversized sheet, the floor is splashed with ink; the entire room is filled with the composition of her art.

Where traditional Japanese calligraphy is essentially the writing of Japanese characters, Mizuno’s style is more contemporary, mixing traditional characters with abstract brushwork, utilizing Black Sumi ink with a touch of gold, silver, or red.

Mizuno created a series of five elements for Pompei A.D. The five elements - Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, and Sky – each communicate universal themes. Earth is a strong, solid, motionless base. Wind, bound by nothing, is void of attachment. Water is fluid, always moving and changing. Fire is pure, symbolizing wisdom, and Sky is infinite, full of life.

Mizuno explains that the five pieces exist as one entity, emanating its own energy, creating an atmosphere within the space, meant to encourage positive work.

Mizuno’s work resonates strongly with the work we do at Pompei A.D. As an expression of another culture, Mizuno’s work invites us to be more global in our thinking, and the primal nature or her work, the immediacy of her art on handmade paper juxtaposes our way of working, which relies on technology and precision. Mizuno’s work inspires creativity and innovation – even within our extremely structured field – through personal immersion. On a fundamental level, the five elements represent the integral roots, vital to everything we do, and everything we are.