Drop by the Smart Museum of Art and join in a calligraphy workshop inspired by our new exhibition, Meiji Modern.

Four special guest artists lead this in-depth, in-gallery and hands-on workshop. The evening begins with an experimental ink painting performance by Yuheng Deng. Then, get inspired by a guided journey through the marvelous artworks on display in Meiji Modern. In the final hour, pick up a brush and join Yuzhe Cao, Katherine Chen, and Kotoko Uhl for three unique workshops focused on calligraphy and origami. 

FREE, open to the public. Space may be limited, please register in advance. All materials provided, all skill levels welcome. 

Program Video

Documentation of the performance “Nature within Nature: The Inception of Impermanent Life with Stone, Grass, and Ink” by Yuheng Deng, music by Ben Kinsinger

About the Guest Artists

Katherine Chen is a 1st-year undergraduate at the University of Chicago. She has studied calligraphy for over 10 years and has been named the “most-awarded young calligrapher in Taiwan.”

Yuheng (Peter) Deng is an ink and performance artist from Chengdu, China. He obtained his BA in East Asian Studies and Japanese from Haverford College and is currently a graduate student in the University of Chicago’s Master of Arts Program in the Humanities, studying Japanese postwar art history.

Yuzhe Cao is a graduate student in the University of Chicago’s Master of Arts Program in the Humanities, studying pre-modern Chinese art history. He obtained his BA in Modern Chinese History at the Ohio State University. He has studied calligraphy for over 10 years.

Kotoko Uhl was raised in Tokyo and was immersed in the world of traditional Japanese arts from an early age within her family, mastering Japanese dance, music, calligraphy and tea ceremony. She has a BA from the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Image: Yuzhe Cao demonstrates writing with ink and brush.