Press and TV
- PUBLICATION - TITLE DATE
- The Yomuri Shimbun (Japanese) - Dancing Alphabets 93.02.26
- Photo Magazine (Japanese) - Merissa's Beautiful Brushwork 93.05
- Tokyo Weekender - Celebrate Australia Art Event 93.11
- The Japan Times Newspaper - Slinging Words About 93.11.21
- Marco Polo Magazine (Japanese) - Eyes of Marco - Inkslinger Beauty 93.12
- Shodou World Magazine (Japanese) - Editor's choice of the Month 94.01
- Yomuri Weekly (Japanese) - Foreign Artisans 94.01.23
- Oceania Quarterly (Bilingual) - Artist profile and Exhibition Interview - 3pg 94.no.39
- Japan Pictorial - Re-writing Culture, an Avant-garde Calligrapher 94.Vol.17 #2
- Axis Magazine (Bilingual) - Trends 94.Spring #51
- The Sydney Morning Herald - Radical Inkslinging and the Republic 94.08.31
- Woody Topics / Living with wood - Message from the Forest Exhibition - 3pg 94.1
- ez magazine (Japanese) - Different Strokes 95.12
- Tokyo Weekender - Merissa "Inkslinger" Walker - Avant-garde calligraphy 95.12
- Shosai Magazine (Japanese) - Hotline, People: Merissa Walker - 2pg 95.Volume 2
- Hanako (Japanese) - Sho me the Way 95.12.7
- Osaka Newspaper - Sho and Tell Exhibition 95.11.10
- Mainichi Shimbun (Japanese) - Sho and Tell 95.11.11
- Shodou World Magazine (Japanese) - Exhibition Review 96.02
- Tokyo Life Times (Japanese) - Merissa's Artist Apartment 2pg 96.08
- State of the Arts (Sydney) - Inkslinger 97.05.2
- Australian Financial Review Alien Mentality 97.05.8
- The Australian - Drizabone's brush with fame 97.05.8
- The Sydney Morning Herald / Domain - The Source > Art 97.05.8
- The Japan Times - Artist slings ink at calligraphy 97.10.12
- Dictionary Magazine - Let Us Pray 98.01
- Neowavism (Catalogue) - International Calligraphers in Seoul 1999
- Art of Ink in America 2000 - Catalogue of Exhibiting Artists 2000 BROADCAST TV- PROGRAMME TITLE DATE
- Japan NTV 4, Tsuiseki - Unusual Calligraphers 93.05.13
- Japan NHK, National News at 7 - Exhibition review and interview 93.11.24
- Asahi TV 10, Kagakukan - Writing Brush Special 94.01.22
- Japan TBS, Try It! - Inkslinger makes Zen Clock 96.01.22
- Japan TBS, Try It! - Inkslinger makes DIY Scroll 96.01.29
- Japan TBS, Try It! - Inkslinger makes Valentine Shorts 96.02.8
- Ten 10 (Aust.) Monday to Friday - Interview and Demonstration 97.05
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THE DAILY YOMURI , JAPAN 26 FEB 1993. (Translated)
THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN
It looks like calligraphy, yet they are not kanji characters. When you look at it closely, you realize it is Roman alphabet. The sizes and the thickness of the strokes vary, and the arrangement is bold. This work, done in black ink on washi paper is produced by Merissa. ”Japanese calligraphy is interesting in that one doesn’t have to be able to read what is written in order to feel the emotion of the artists,” says Merissa.
Born in Australia, she graduated from Sydney University with a degree in Architecture. After spending two years in London working with various designers, she came to Japan 18 months ago where she now works at Pandachic, a design company in Shibuya. Since the company introduced her to ink scrolls last summer, Merissa started to work on her calligraphy through books. ”There are various styles to it and you can sense the passions of the different writers,” and so she started to design her own style of barely legible calligraphy.
Two pieces of her early work are displayed in the washroom of ’Yoshimura’ soba restaurant at Kichijoji in Musashinoshi-city. One features the name of the restaurant and reads; ”Yoshimura Soul Food,” and the other is a Latin proverb, ”Past Longa, Vita Brevis” (Pasta is long, Life is short). She met the restaurant manager, Mr Kaneko last year when he asked Pandachic to do the refurbishment of Yoshimura. He is thrilled with Merissa’s work.
In May she is going to show her other calligraphy works, as well as a sofa made of tatami and some washi lamps. These are her interpretations of Japanese tradition. She is optimistic about her work and says, ”One day I would like to do Interiors of shops and restaurants”.
Born in Australia, she graduated from Sydney University with a degree in Architecture. After spending two years in London working with various designers, she came to Japan 18 months ago where she now works at Pandachic, a design company in Shibuya. Since the company introduced her to ink scrolls last summer, Merissa started to work on her calligraphy through books. ”There are various styles to it and you can sense the passions of the different writers,” and so she started to design her own style of barely legible calligraphy.
Two pieces of her early work are displayed in the washroom of ’Yoshimura’ soba restaurant at Kichijoji in Musashinoshi-city. One features the name of the restaurant and reads; ”Yoshimura Soul Food,” and the other is a Latin proverb, ”Past Longa, Vita Brevis” (Pasta is long, Life is short). She met the restaurant manager, Mr Kaneko last year when he asked Pandachic to do the refurbishment of Yoshimura. He is thrilled with Merissa’s work.
In May she is going to show her other calligraphy works, as well as a sofa made of tatami and some washi lamps. These are her interpretations of Japanese tradition. She is optimistic about her work and says, ”One day I would like to do Interiors of shops and restaurants”.
PHOTO MAGAZINE Japan, May 1993 (Translation)
Designer (Australia) / Merissa Walker
MERISSA’S WAY OF SHODOU
At a glance, the words look like snakes dancing on paper. They are words but the characters are neither kanji or kana. You reflect for a moment and take a second glance. The letters written on the paper are the roman alphabet. The lines, how they are lined up, the touches to these letters are simply elegant. Rather than calling them unique, it is more appropriate to call them full of artistic sense. ”What do you think of them compared to Japanese calligraphy? Just for reference, this one says ’Sex & Drugs 8 Rock ’n’ Roll’,” smiles Merissa as she explains this to us.
She is the creator of this work. She graduated from Sydney University with a degree in Architecture, then went to work as a designer in the U.K. She arrived in Japan about two years ago, and from May last year has been working at the Japanese design company ’Pandachic’ in Shibuya. Her attraction to ink brush calligraphy came about when she was exposed to traditional Japanese artworks as part of her interior decorating work at that company. She then studied and read books on shodou. After work she practiced brushstrokes and started on her own pieces.
”At first encounter I was fascinated by it. At the same time I thought that it would be impossible to master such a technique without reading Japanese. I realized I could never be one of those distinguished teachers who put over 50 years into brushing up their skills; so I took the essence of shodou and blended my own design interpretations into it. That was the start of my alphabet shodou.” Besides writing maxims and famous sayings on paper, she also writes down her personal feelings. ”
There is a sense of freshness in my daily life in Tokyo. I feel the differences here very strongly and they provide inspiration for pieces of shodou writing.” Her works are highly valued by her colleagues and they are already being used as interior decoration for some of their more adventurous clients. ”As a designer I’m just testing my creativity. I digest all the different ideas that come my way and try to use them in new ways .... I consider shodou but one form of expression.” There was much vitality seen behind those beautiful eyes of the creator.
The Japan Times Newspaper, 1993.11.21
Slinging words about
At first glance the works appear to be fanciful, exotic Japanesque decor. Or an avant-garde experiment by some new artist challenging Japan’s hidebound calligraphic tradition. However, these are India ink works by Merissa ”Inkslinger” Walker, a 25-year-old designer native of Australia, resident of Tokyo for two years. In a current exhibition, the works are displayed on the walls of the restaurant Kreisel, in the German Cultural Centre in Tokyo’s Akasaka.
Some of her scripts seem like kanji (Chinese characters) in the grass hand; others remind one of Sanskrit letters, and some just look like capricious sketches by ultra-modern designers. A closer look shows this is the Roman alphabet, however – English words drawn with a brush in a fancy, barely legible style. One piece shows the silhouette of Sydney’s Opera House, the well-known shell-shaped roofs drawn with miniature letters. Some works are on washi (Japanese paper) in the shape of a T-shirt, adorned by calligraphic samples of Australian slang: ”Kangaroos in the top paddock” (to be crazy), ”Dag” (an untidy dresser) and ”Let’s go chase a cow” (a unique expression, better go see this one for yourself).
Walker encountered Japanese calligraphy while working at an interior design company handling Japanese scrolls, ”First I got interested in calligraphy because I couldn’t read it,” Walker said. ”Then I was fascinated to know that even Japanese can’t read it easily, so I was seeing Japanese calligraphy the same way as Japanese did.” Walker started to teach herself using Japanese calligraphy books. However, ”to make it more artistic and get more results quickly,” she invented her own Roman alphabet calligraphy, ”In the flow of India ink, I can express my natural feelings,” Walker explained, She was encouraged when a client of the company ordered two of her calligraphic works for his refurbished soba (Japanese noodle) house in Tokyo.
Walker graduated from Sydney University with a degree in Architecture, and went to London where she worked as a TV art director for nearly two years before coming to Japan in the autumn of 199l. ln her next exhibition, to open Tuesday at Tokyo’s Wisma ll Gallery, she will show new works, including calligraphy on screens, scrolls and some kakejiku (hanging screens) with her haiku on them.
Walker’s Aussie haiku replace the conventional seasonal word – a must in the Japanese short poem – with a ”seasonal sports word” de- scribing typical Australian sports scenes, One of her haiku reads: 'ln a stagnant queue, The Hill erupts! Just missed the catch of the match'. One kakejiku she makes more tangible. In it the Chinese character for ”light” is cut out from the screen and illuminated from behind. ”Though I’m not a very good poet, I hope people feel my emotions in my works, since I think calligraphy is what you can enjoy even without knowing what is written in it,” said Walker, adding that she is now working on kanji. She hopes to hold, in the near future, an exhibition of calligraphy using Japanese characters only. (S.NAGOYA)
The Merissa Walker calligraphy exhibitions, official events of the 1993 Celebrate Australia Fair, are being held till Nov.26 at the German Cultural Centre (Goethe Institut) 7-5-58 Akasaka. Minato-ku Tokyo. Another exhibition starts Nov.23 at Wisma II Gallery, located at 3-7-4 Jingumae. Shibuya-ku. Tokyo.
Some of her scripts seem like kanji (Chinese characters) in the grass hand; others remind one of Sanskrit letters, and some just look like capricious sketches by ultra-modern designers. A closer look shows this is the Roman alphabet, however – English words drawn with a brush in a fancy, barely legible style. One piece shows the silhouette of Sydney’s Opera House, the well-known shell-shaped roofs drawn with miniature letters. Some works are on washi (Japanese paper) in the shape of a T-shirt, adorned by calligraphic samples of Australian slang: ”Kangaroos in the top paddock” (to be crazy), ”Dag” (an untidy dresser) and ”Let’s go chase a cow” (a unique expression, better go see this one for yourself).
Walker encountered Japanese calligraphy while working at an interior design company handling Japanese scrolls, ”First I got interested in calligraphy because I couldn’t read it,” Walker said. ”Then I was fascinated to know that even Japanese can’t read it easily, so I was seeing Japanese calligraphy the same way as Japanese did.” Walker started to teach herself using Japanese calligraphy books. However, ”to make it more artistic and get more results quickly,” she invented her own Roman alphabet calligraphy, ”In the flow of India ink, I can express my natural feelings,” Walker explained, She was encouraged when a client of the company ordered two of her calligraphic works for his refurbished soba (Japanese noodle) house in Tokyo.
Walker graduated from Sydney University with a degree in Architecture, and went to London where she worked as a TV art director for nearly two years before coming to Japan in the autumn of 199l. ln her next exhibition, to open Tuesday at Tokyo’s Wisma ll Gallery, she will show new works, including calligraphy on screens, scrolls and some kakejiku (hanging screens) with her haiku on them.
Walker’s Aussie haiku replace the conventional seasonal word – a must in the Japanese short poem – with a ”seasonal sports word” de- scribing typical Australian sports scenes, One of her haiku reads: 'ln a stagnant queue, The Hill erupts! Just missed the catch of the match'. One kakejiku she makes more tangible. In it the Chinese character for ”light” is cut out from the screen and illuminated from behind. ”Though I’m not a very good poet, I hope people feel my emotions in my works, since I think calligraphy is what you can enjoy even without knowing what is written in it,” said Walker, adding that she is now working on kanji. She hopes to hold, in the near future, an exhibition of calligraphy using Japanese characters only. (S.NAGOYA)
The Merissa Walker calligraphy exhibitions, official events of the 1993 Celebrate Australia Fair, are being held till Nov.26 at the German Cultural Centre (Goethe Institut) 7-5-58 Akasaka. Minato-ku Tokyo. Another exhibition starts Nov.23 at Wisma II Gallery, located at 3-7-4 Jingumae. Shibuya-ku. Tokyo.
Tokyo Weekender, December 1995
Merissa ‘Inkslinger’ Walker to show avant garde calligraphy
Inkslinger (ingk sling.er) n. 1) One who slings, throws or hurls ink. 2) Historically: slang describing the “gutter press” of New York in the 1940s-’50s. Sensationalist writers with little regard for reporting facts. 3) Chosen pen name of Merissa Walker. Though not formally trained in the art of shodou, she regards her technique as “rough, ready and raw; straight from the heart, via the mind.”
Merissa “Inkslinger” Walker is an Australian artist who has resided in Japan for four years. She trained as an architect and makes her living as a freelance designer of spaces, objects and events,that often utilizing her typographic style of art in the process. She began exploring Asian brush calligraphy (shodou) in 1992 and soon developed a unique style, basically the Roman alphabet written, with brush and ink, vertically and from right to left on the page, thus appearing to be abstracted Japanese text.
Merissa’s works all contain an element of inkslinging, but they come in many shapes and sizes; from canvases to scrolls, from folding screens to coats – even lighting objects, umbrellas and napkins.
Describing her ambitions, Merissa declares: ”By disguising Western ideas in Japanese form and representing Japanese tradition with a foreign twist, I hope to encourage people of different backgrounds to appreciate one another’s culture.”
She will be showing a collection of her calligraphy and her art objects called ”SHO Me the Way,” to be held Nov. 27-Dec. 3 at Vision Network Gallery, 5-47- 6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku (tel: 3407-6564); 11 a.m. till 9 p.m. She continues: ”Calligraphy is words; words represent ideas; ideas make us think. Understanding inkslinging requires viewers to draw upon their intrinsic cultural background. The words chosen are represented in rich visual contexts.”
Using Japanese ink, brushes and a large dose of Zen, Merissa will sling together the ideas of such diverse conceptualists as Andy Warhol, the Australian Aborigines and Carl Jung. She wonders aloud: “If a group of salarymen went ‘bush’ in central Australia and lived among the Aboriginals, what kind of art and mythology would evolve? How about ’Salaryman Dreaming’?
”Another example: traditional Tea Ceremony can be defined as taking an everyday thing (preparing thata cup of tea, you might say) and elevating it to a Fine Art of national cultural significance. In the Tokugawa period, the Way of Tea permeated all levels of Japanese society and made an aesthetic culture available to all. “Similarly, Pop Art can be considered as the taking of an everyday thing (tin of soup) and elevating it to fine art. Pop artists drew upon their own contemporary cultures and created an art which celebrates the broad spectrum of their society. Today, a widespread cultural trend which has parallels to both of these might be The Way of Coffee. Hence: ‘Coffee Ceremony’.”
A free-spirited young lady with a refreshing joie d’vivre. Merissa Walker will have an illustrated 1996 calendar of her highly original works, a selection of Christmas and New Year cards, napkins and other gift items available at the exhibition.
- Corky Alexander
Merissa “Inkslinger” Walker is an Australian artist who has resided in Japan for four years. She trained as an architect and makes her living as a freelance designer of spaces, objects and events,that often utilizing her typographic style of art in the process. She began exploring Asian brush calligraphy (shodou) in 1992 and soon developed a unique style, basically the Roman alphabet written, with brush and ink, vertically and from right to left on the page, thus appearing to be abstracted Japanese text.
Merissa’s works all contain an element of inkslinging, but they come in many shapes and sizes; from canvases to scrolls, from folding screens to coats – even lighting objects, umbrellas and napkins.
Describing her ambitions, Merissa declares: ”By disguising Western ideas in Japanese form and representing Japanese tradition with a foreign twist, I hope to encourage people of different backgrounds to appreciate one another’s culture.”
She will be showing a collection of her calligraphy and her art objects called ”SHO Me the Way,” to be held Nov. 27-Dec. 3 at Vision Network Gallery, 5-47- 6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku (tel: 3407-6564); 11 a.m. till 9 p.m. She continues: ”Calligraphy is words; words represent ideas; ideas make us think. Understanding inkslinging requires viewers to draw upon their intrinsic cultural background. The words chosen are represented in rich visual contexts.”
Using Japanese ink, brushes and a large dose of Zen, Merissa will sling together the ideas of such diverse conceptualists as Andy Warhol, the Australian Aborigines and Carl Jung. She wonders aloud: “If a group of salarymen went ‘bush’ in central Australia and lived among the Aboriginals, what kind of art and mythology would evolve? How about ’Salaryman Dreaming’?
”Another example: traditional Tea Ceremony can be defined as taking an everyday thing (preparing thata cup of tea, you might say) and elevating it to a Fine Art of national cultural significance. In the Tokugawa period, the Way of Tea permeated all levels of Japanese society and made an aesthetic culture available to all. “Similarly, Pop Art can be considered as the taking of an everyday thing (tin of soup) and elevating it to fine art. Pop artists drew upon their own contemporary cultures and created an art which celebrates the broad spectrum of their society. Today, a widespread cultural trend which has parallels to both of these might be The Way of Coffee. Hence: ‘Coffee Ceremony’.”
A free-spirited young lady with a refreshing joie d’vivre. Merissa Walker will have an illustrated 1996 calendar of her highly original works, a selection of Christmas and New Year cards, napkins and other gift items available at the exhibition.
- Corky Alexander
Eyes of Marco
MERISSA WALKER
INKSLINGER BEAUTY: BRUSHSTROKES OF ALPHABET FROM AN AVANT-GARDE AUSTRALIAN SHODOU ARTIST
Can you read the writing hanging against the wall? It looks like Chinese characters at a glance but is actually alphabet. To the right reads ’Home sweet home’, and on the left side there is a passage taken from a famous Australian poem, which is written vertically from right to left. The artist who has retouched upon the Japanese tradition of shodou (calligraphy) is Merissa Walker. “I would go to calligraphy exhibitions with Japanese friends, and when I asked them to read the text to me, hardly anyone was able to read the characters. That’s when I decided to adopt the calligraphy style but write it in English. All you need is ink, brush and washi to get started. I’m also attracted to the beautiful textures of washi.” She has been working in Tokyo since 1991, when she came to visit her father who is posted in Japan. Between the ages of 8 -12 she came to Japan a few times. Perhaps because of this background she was not hit by the grandiose Japanese illusion apt to be embraced by many foreign artists. ”It’s not that I like all aspects of Japanese culture. Sado (tea ceremony) is so complete that there isn’t room for anything new, which makes it less interesting. In that respect both shodou and butou (dance) have a blend of tradition and avant gardness which makes them more universal.” Young Japanese people in the 90’s can share her artistic sense. This is demonstrated by the psychedelic murals she has painted for a bar in Nishiazabu called The Drugstore.
SHODOU WORLD Translation (Stuffy establishment Bible of Japan's Calligraphy Artisans)
January 1994 - Editor’s Choice of the month section
MERISSA ‘INKSLINGER’ WALKERLately we are seeing many artists who write various alphabets using ink brush. I don’t know whether that is considered modernistic or not, but before we even get to that point I must say that most of these works are nothing but boring. The artists simply let the brushstrokes lead them to any direction they feel like. Works by professional letterers are considered better compared to such works. Maybe it’s our fault; perhaps we just don’t understand that alphabets have a long history behind them.
An Australian designer, Merissa ’Inkslinger’ Walker writes old Australian poems in Queen’s English which is her native tongue. She does all this in ink brush and vertically as well. This is very interesting. These words that dance both vertically and horizontally have rhythm to them, and like most Western poetry which places more emphasis on sound than how the words look, you can almost hear the rhythm through your eyes. The fun is added by her finishing touches and displays. Her scrolls are backed with coloured urethane material, her folding screens are made out of fly screen door panels, and her washi coat has words inscribed on it. It’s easy to call these works products of bi-cultural differences, but I’m sure that these pieces mean a lot more behind the veiled culture of alphabet.
INKSLINGER BEAUTY: BRUSHSTROKES OF ALPHABET FROM AN AVANT-GARDE AUSTRALIAN SHODOU ARTIST
Can you read the writing hanging against the wall? It looks like Chinese characters at a glance but is actually alphabet. To the right reads ’Home sweet home’, and on the left side there is a passage taken from a famous Australian poem, which is written vertically from right to left. The artist who has retouched upon the Japanese tradition of shodou (calligraphy) is Merissa Walker. “I would go to calligraphy exhibitions with Japanese friends, and when I asked them to read the text to me, hardly anyone was able to read the characters. That’s when I decided to adopt the calligraphy style but write it in English. All you need is ink, brush and washi to get started. I’m also attracted to the beautiful textures of washi.” She has been working in Tokyo since 1991, when she came to visit her father who is posted in Japan. Between the ages of 8 -12 she came to Japan a few times. Perhaps because of this background she was not hit by the grandiose Japanese illusion apt to be embraced by many foreign artists. ”It’s not that I like all aspects of Japanese culture. Sado (tea ceremony) is so complete that there isn’t room for anything new, which makes it less interesting. In that respect both shodou and butou (dance) have a blend of tradition and avant gardness which makes them more universal.” Young Japanese people in the 90’s can share her artistic sense. This is demonstrated by the psychedelic murals she has painted for a bar in Nishiazabu called The Drugstore.
SHODOU WORLD Translation (Stuffy establishment Bible of Japan's Calligraphy Artisans)
January 1994 - Editor’s Choice of the month section
MERISSA ‘INKSLINGER’ WALKERLately we are seeing many artists who write various alphabets using ink brush. I don’t know whether that is considered modernistic or not, but before we even get to that point I must say that most of these works are nothing but boring. The artists simply let the brushstrokes lead them to any direction they feel like. Works by professional letterers are considered better compared to such works. Maybe it’s our fault; perhaps we just don’t understand that alphabets have a long history behind them.
An Australian designer, Merissa ’Inkslinger’ Walker writes old Australian poems in Queen’s English which is her native tongue. She does all this in ink brush and vertically as well. This is very interesting. These words that dance both vertically and horizontally have rhythm to them, and like most Western poetry which places more emphasis on sound than how the words look, you can almost hear the rhythm through your eyes. The fun is added by her finishing touches and displays. Her scrolls are backed with coloured urethane material, her folding screens are made out of fly screen door panels, and her washi coat has words inscribed on it. It’s easy to call these works products of bi-cultural differences, but I’m sure that these pieces mean a lot more behind the veiled culture of alphabet.
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