About Kokū

Hands holding a bamboo sumi-e brush over paper beside an ink stone, in soft natural light.
Sumi-e and Japanese Calligraphy, Explained
Black ink, a brush, and a sheet of paper. Meet sumi-e, the Japanese ink painting tradition that shares its brush, ink and eight strokes with Japanese calligraphy, and the practice... Read more...
A woman painting an ensō in black ink with a small vermilion dot above it, the brush meeting the paper.
The Ensō, Explained
A single circle, brushed in one movement and left open. Meet the ensō, the Zen circle of Japanese calligraphy, the symbol at the heart of Kokū, and how to paint... Read more...
A hand painting bamboo in black sumi-e ink on paper, with a bamboo brush and dish of ink alongside.
The Making of Kokū Meditations
Every card in the Kokū Meditations deck began as an original sumi-e painting, made by hand with a Japanese calligraphy brush, ink and paper. Over 100 hours of painting across... Read more...