With the modernization of the lives of Japanese people, there has been a decline in Japanese-style architecture, and the old-fashioned style of hanging scrolls displayed in “tokonoma” alcoves has faded. The traditional Japanese culture of calligraphy has become less noticeable in our everyday spaces. But it was thought that if modern sensibility and design could be combined with the DNA of traditional calligraphy, it could become interior art that would fit right in to modern spaces. It is on this basis that Carre MOJI was founded in 2002. The name that combines the French “Carré,” meaning “a comfortable courtyard” with the Japanese word “MOJI” (character) expresses the desire to share a “comfortable space with characters” with the world as a new element of Japanese culture.

Using this art for the purpose of both decoration and viewing stimulates the sensibilities of the viewer from both its visual and literal perspectives. The optimal use of blank space also served to expand the landscapes and scenery that emanates from the works. More than 10 calligraphers from Japan and overseas realized this vision of Carre MOJI. Each is a one-of-a-kind original, framed perfectly to match the characters and the places it will be hung. With many requests for order-made works from luxury hotels, inns, and restaurants, etc. many have commented on how their “spaces have been brought to life with this art.”

There are many variations of Carre MOJI works, to fit various different spaces. But at the centerpiece is the Kanji characters. Many Kanji characters are made up of hieroglyphs, and the sceneries that extend from a single character can be enjoyed like a picture. English language works are also popular for their stylish expression of beautiful calligraphy-quality lines and curves. Carre MOJI’s unique “Mojific” and “Sumific” styles are further abstractions of this form or expression. “Mojific” refers to works of graphic expression based around characters (“moji”), while “Sumific” refers to the free-flying relationship between the calligraphy lines and the ink (“sumi”). Unlike the other works, the Sumi-e black ink works are also distinctive, with a consciousness of interior design unique to Carre MOJI. There are currently new products under development such as the “Tokyo Series” of calligraphy about Tokyo, framed with traditional Tokyo crafts, and hanging scrolls for overseas consumers. These attempts by Carre MOJI to bring the depth of calligraphy to interior art will continue to spread into the future.