Despite being mounted as hanging scrolls, Daidō and Mumon are both on a

landscape format. Each of them bears the characters of their titles, and each word is

based on the ancient Daoist philosopher Laozi's philosophy of wuwei ziran (inaction

and naturalness). Read together, the phrase daidō mumon signifies that the great, or

supreme, way (of the Buddha) has no gate or entrance. It is famous for appearing in

the preface of the kōan collection The Gateless Barrier, compiled by the Song-dynasty

Zen monk Wumen Huikai. Generally, the phrase is interpreted as meaning that the

path to enlightenment lacks a fixed entrance and that opportunities for awakening

are everywhere.

The present scrolls are part of a small series centered on the same phrase, created

in 1994. These were preceded about ten year earlier by Daidō and Daidō mumon,

both 1985. Within the group of 1994, there is another example where Ishikawa

reverses the juxtaposition of styles, using the wet-brush approach for Daidō and the

coarse, dry writing for Mumon. Moreover, a further version unities all four characters

in one single work, written in one line. While in a set of two hanging scrolls,

each of them is, in principle, independent of the other, they can at the same time be

considered as a pair.

Indeed, these words signify the first step of a long journey, and in the preface to

The Gateless Barrier, which begins with this phrase, the concluding line reads…

kenkon doppo (walking alone through this world). For Ishikawa, these words may

have represented his resolve to forge ahead alone, pioneering the vast horizons of

calligraphic expression.

Ishikawa Kyuyoh (calligrapher; b. 1945)

Born in Fukui Prefecture, Japan in 1945. Graduated from the Faculty of Law at Kyoto University. After serving as a professor at Kyoto Seika University and the director of the Institute for Writing and Civilizations, he is now an emeritus professor at the same university. Ishikawa has elucidated the concept that “calligraphy is the art of hisshoku (taction),” and interprets the structure and history of calligraphy. As a critic, he is also active in discussions on the Japanese language and culture, which have had a significant impact across various fields. In both his artistic creations and written works, Ishikawa continues to produce cutting-edge expressions and insights. His body of work includes over 2,000 calligraphic pieces and more than 100 published books.