This work is included in Ishikawa’s second anthology, Collected Works of Ishikawa Kyuyoh: Yet…, published in 1987. In the afterword, the artist wrote:

“Despite the fact that Hidai Tenrai’s style has permeated my perspective in an almost physical sense since I was very young, this book is, in a way, proof of how fundamentally distant I have been from Tenrai—whether in terms of modern calligraphy, post-war calligraphy, or avant-garde calligraphy. Tenrai’s vision of calligraphy had no connection to current state of the arts or society, and overcoming it hands-on meant standing in an uncharted wilderness with nothing but my bare hands. While engaging with calligraphy, I devised strategies and tactics for escape, like stacking tiles and stones, a diagram of that wandering.”

Ishikawa’s approach up to this point is fairly clear. The expression “tiles and stones” typically refers to common, worthless items. Here, in conjunction with “wandering,” it conveys a sense of aimlessness, something that, from a teleological perspective, rarely suggests any clear purpose. Yet, at the same time, Ishikawa articulates his conviction that there is a type of work that can only be accomplished through such repeated experimentation.

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.