Painting Peace: Art in a Time of Global Crisis

Description

A revered modern artist and Zen teacher offers an inspirational account of how his art has been the expression of a life of social activism. Kazuaki Tanahashi's dramatic art, which takes traditional Asian calligraphy in strikingly modern directions, has been widely praised and exhibited throughout the world. But for Kaz, that art has always been in service of a higher good- it has been his own way of bearing witness to peace in a world overcome by war, division, and strife. Here, in his most deeply personal work yet, Kaz provides an account of how he came to be such an artist and how the work of activism continues to progress in his life. Along with thirty full-color examples of his unique art of witness, he includes accounts of his formative experiences, of the people who influences him--including Daniel Ellsberg, Gary Snyder, and Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido, with whom he studied as a boy in Japan--and many of his poems related to peace. Painting Peace is an intimate self-portrait of a great modern artist-activist, and a guide for those who aspire to imitate his example.

KAZUAKI TANAHASHI, a Japanese-trained calligrapher, is the pioneer of the genre of "one-stroke painting" as well as the creator of multicolor enso (Zen circles). His brushwork has been shown in solo exhibitions in galleries, museums, and universities all over the world. Tanahashi is the author of over forty books including Heart of the Brush and The Heart Sutra.

"Is the human race condemned to destroy itself with its own weapons of mass destruction? Kazuaki Tanahashi's persuasive answer is no, but to go from a death-driven society to a society that protects life requires re-envisioning the future so that we can learn to live peacefully in the present moment. Using stories, poems and his own calligraphy, Tanahashi's Painting Peace contributes to that conversion."-Jim Forest, author of The Root of War Is Fear: Thomas Merton's Advice to Peacemakers and All Is Grace: A Biography of Dorothy Day "This gorgeous book reflects a miraculous life of courage, humor, compassion, and wisdom. It is about peace, art, and a weave of remarkable relationships and endeavors that have shaped my good friend Kaz Tanahashi's life and vision."-Joan Halifax, author of Being with Dying "Kaz Tanahashi recounts adventures from a lifetime of activism and art. A maker of monumental works of calligraphy that incorporate but far transcend tradition and founder of international activist organizations like Plutonium Free Future and World Without Armies, Kaz is legendary. With unassuming yet indomitable energy, he has used his imagination to confront global problems like disarmament and climate change. His simple, clear, positive, non-hectoring tone (no doubt a result of his lifetime study and groundbreaking translations of Zen Master Dogen) will give you the feeling that a Ten Millennium Human Future is possible if only we will roll up our sleeves and get to work manifesting our vision of a peaceful world. This book could not have come at a better time."-Norman Fischer, author of What Is Zen? Plain Talk for a Beginner's Mind "Inspiring, fascinating, tenacious and creative, these stories from Kaz's life as an artist, scholar, and activist, offer the reader so many ways to enter the sphere of compassionate social responsibility. It's as if Kaz is sitting with the reader, coaching us to experience the potential and joy of creative problem solving in the world of peace and environmental activism. There are brushes built, panels convened, operas composed, songs and poems written. Reading this is like taking a long--a life-long--pilgrimage with a wise compassionate man, an artist who drinks in the joys and sorrows of the world."-Roshi Pat Enkyo O'Hara, author of Most Intimate: A Zen Approach to Life's Challenges