I was invited to exhibit some of my works at this event, and I presented three collaborative calligraphy-poetry pieces related to Fukushima.
Around 200 people gathered from across the country. Afterwards, I received the following message from the organizer:
“Your piece ‘Ah, it’s going to be erased as if it never happened’ struck at the heart of the gathering. It became a key topic even during the after-party. The emotion of ‘anger’ came through powerfully, and your calligraphy at the front allowed us to return again and again to the core of the speaker’s message. Thanks to your work, the entire lecture felt sharp and impactful. We are deeply grateful for your generosity, Ms. Nishihata. Although we couldn’t share the social gathering with you, had you been there, the praise and applause for you would surely have been thunderous.”
I was truly moved and grateful beyond words.
Later, in May, someone who had attended the Takatsuki gathering from Mie Prefecture reached out to request a calligraphy logo for a T-shirt. The request came from someone involved in the legal campaign surrounding the death of Wishma, who died in an immigration detention facility.
The T-shirt was sent to me on September 10.