Two calligraphy artists of different strokes

They've not only mastered the art of ancient calligraphy from disparate parts of the world, but Meredith W. McPherson and Mohamed Zakariya both infuse a style of their own into their craft — now on view at two separate exhibitions.

McPherson finds inspiration for her work — contemporary Zen calligraphy art distinguished by flowing lines and abstracted figures — in pictographs from Shang Dynasty oracle bone inscriptions. She creates in Chinese ink on handmade paper.

Nearly two dozen McPherson pieces dot the walls of the Ballard Floating Leaves Teahouse exhibition, "Drinking Ink: Visual Expressions of Tea & Zen in Modern Chinese Brushwork," on view through Dec. 8.

Adept at blending the old and the new, in "The Way of Tea," McPherson cleverly employs recognizable Chinese characters, such as "tea," "peace," "respect," "clarity" and "tranquility," next to a larger abstracted one of "the way." But most of her pieces are variations of original symbols, ancestors of today's Chinese or Japanese characters. The balanced "Enso," a circular symbol done in black with a splash of red, for instance, is McPherson's expression of the Zen enzo circle of infinity.

But how did this Philadelphia-born American woman end up a calligraphy artist?

She must have been Chinese in her past life, McPherson said.

She had been learning and practicing Chinese calligraphy for several years when she visited China with a group of fellow artists in the mid 1990s. After seeing her work, a grand master — Liang Zongheng — invited her to become his personal apprentice. So McPherson left her job working with exhibits at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and moved to Nanjing for a year.

Exhibit reviews


"Drinking Ink: Visual Expressions of Tea & Zen in Modern Chinese Brushwork," 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays-Saturdays, noon -8 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 8, Floating Leaves Teahouse, 2213 N.W. Market St., Seattle; free (206-529-4268 or www.floatingleaves.com).

"Mohamed Zakariya, Islamic Calligrapher," 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 18, Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue; $5-$7 (425-519-0770 or www.bellevuearts.org). Zakariya will discuss his work at 11 a.m. Saturday at the museum.

That's where the artist, who now lives in Point Roberts, Whatcom County, began her journey. Since then, she's continued to research etymology to inform her work.

"It's just in my soul," she said. "The ancient images are sacred, and the messages go beyond cultures. Anyone who sees them can interpret them from a personal perspective."

Zakariya also practices the ancient art; in his case, Islamic calligraphy.

Rhythmic and powerful, his pieces range from secular poetry and prose to excerpts from the Quran. Nearly 20 examples of his framed and unframed work are part of an exhibit organized by Bellevue Arts Museum titled "Mohamed Zakariya, Islamic Calligrapher."

The black ink from the bold strokes of "Is not God enough for his servants?" is contrasted beautifully by the intricate tapestry of the gold, acrylic and gouache background. His touch is much lighter, the succinct repetition almost musical, in the ink and gold "Do Not Be Fooled," which also features verses from the Quran.

Zakariya is not only responsible for creating poetic calligraphy in black or gold ink, but he's also the artist behind the elegant borders surrounding the text. By decorating with gold or hand-making marbleized paper, Zakariya ensures that the patterns framing the calligraphy are as grand as the words themselves.

The native Californian who converted to Islam in the 1960s has served as an apprentice under Ali Alparslan and Hasan Celebi, two Turkish calligraphers. Today, he is a teacher and scholar of the art form. Zakariya, who lives in Arlington, Va., still studies at Istanbul's Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture.

With his graceful, well-proportioned calligraphy, Zakariya honors not only the beauty of the words but their meaning as well, said Michael Monroe, the museum's director and chief curator.

Judy Chia Hui Hsu: 206-464-3315

or jhsu@seattletimes.com