Nishiki Sugawara-Beda was born and raised in Japan, where all schoolchildren learn calligraphy. This craft and the art of Japanese ink painting “Sumi-e” provide the foundation and inspiration for her practice. In her current series of work, she explores the relationship between written language and image on the paper. Says Sugawara-Beda, “My paintings begin as densely layered linguistic compositions expressing a particular theme. For a native Japanese speaker, occasionally characters can be glimpsed and read in the literal sense. Yet more often, these layers explore possible nuances of a phrase or phrases, introducing complexity and contradictions.” She uses watercolor paper and calligraphy ink to capture the flow and ease that only Japanese calligraphy can portray. Beda will answer questions at the end of her lecture from the audience.