In the Oriental calligraphic tradition, you are not supposed to touch up or white out a trace of your brush. Every brush stroke must be decisive; there is no going back. It’s just like life. (Kazuaki Tanahashi: Brush Mind)

Kazuaki Tanahashi was born in 1933 in Japan. His whole life as an artist he was moving between eastern and western culture. Already during his studies of traditional chinese and japanese calligraphy since 1956 he was taking privat lessons in oilpainting, too. His own work early went in a direction that got him close to painters like Jackson Pollock and Franz Kline.
Since 1964/65 his paintings were exhibited in North America, and it is obviously not pure coincidence that he is living in California since1977. In the country of one-syllable-men the beautiful name Kazuaki changed into Kaz, and Kaz became a never resting fighter for peace and respect to the being and the variety of the world, while still going on the way of Zen.

In the asian tradition calligraphy and painting are close together. Both of them are part and expression of the continous process of universal creation to which the artist contributes. This is why painting always touches something substantial, though it may be done without any concept in a totally relaxed way. But unfortunately there is no perfection in this world. Or you see it that way that every line, every circle is complete, unique and unrepeatable.

There is no choice: the artist always has to carry on, always has to take the paintbrush to a new sheet of paper. The theory of all asian arts concentrates on the way and matter how to proceed – the posture of paintbrush, the wrist’s agility, the swing out of the shoulder or out of the hip (Kaz sometimes works with giant paintbrushes!). Only the techniques may be discussed precisely. What they are for, is just beyond talking. According to this, the typical asian form of alienation consists in the ceremonial refinement developped during centuries, and finally able to suffocate any expression of real life. Less work, less care would say our calligraphy master: Less judgement, less trying, less improvement, less regret. And speaking from the heart of his western readers and students with the affirmation of the scandal of creativity and the search for a meaning: Insightful monks may say enlightenment can be experienced right now. Enlightened artist may say masterpieces are right here. Why are these things usually just a few inches away from me ?