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Mari Kučera is an artist and instructor. She originally came to the Czech Republic to study violin, but has been living here for more than 20 years, sharing the art of Japanese calligraphy Shodō. Her goal goes beyond merely mastering the characters – she describes her approach as deeply spiritual, focused on connecting body, mind, and inner experience. In the interview, she shares why calligraphy is more than technique, how to overcome mind control, and what participants can gain from her course at the ArtCamp summer school organized by the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen.

The goal of your course isn't to learn a large number of characters, but rather to experience the process of expressing inner feelings. Can you explain how specifically you work with participants in your courses to overcome rational control and achieve authentic expression through calligraphy?

I emphasize relaxing the body and utilizing the flexibility of the brush. Thanks to the flexible brush, our movements are well displayed on paper, and students can see for themselves how thoughts and desires in the head influence body movement. So then they understand themselves what prevents us from free expression.

Do you perceive calligraphy as a spiritual discipline? When did Shodō become more than just an artistic technique for you personally and become a path that you walk?

I think it was from the beginning, but I only started to clearly realize it in adulthood. When I began teaching Japanese calligraphy in the Czech Republic, I was looking for a way to convey such perception to Europeans in an understandable and logical manner. Japanese people perceive such paths through feeling and body almost as a matter of course and don't need explanation, but for Europeans it's sometimes good to explain it in words.

I came to the Czech Republic to study violin at the Prague Conservatory for a year. The planned one-year stay extended indefinitely. The more deeply I get to know European and Czech culture, I think I understand better and more deeply the principles of art that humanity has needed since ancient times. And I also discovered the beauty of Japanese culture here – when I started looking at it from the outside, I began to appreciate it much more than when I lived in Japan.

The ArtCamp summer school offers a brief but intensive immersion in various artistic directions. What can participants truly experience and understand during five days if they embark on the path of calligraphy under your guidance?

In the course, we work mainly with energy and movement. When course participants want to express something, they must look within themselves and connect their body and senses as best as possible. I hope that participants will understand that the most important thing is what cannot be seen. What is visible is only the result of invisible processes within us.

The Japanese calligraphy course with Mari Kučera will take place from July 14–18. You can register until May 31 through the faculty website.