My Kohelet

Originally from Saitama, Japan, Kazuo Ishii is a master of Japanese calligraphy and ink painting.

Alongside his lifelong dedication to these traditional arts, he has devoted himself to the practice

and teaching of martial arts, Zen philosophy, and meditation: all disciplines that have become

inseparable from both his life and his artistic vision.

In 1997, Ishii moved to Israel, where he has continued to teach and practice Japanese calligraphy,

Zen, and martial arts, creating an ongoing dialogue between Japan and Israel.

His works have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world.

In this exhibition - “My Kohelet” - he brings together a series of works in which Japanese and

Hebrew calligraphy intertwine, creating a bridge between two ancient civilizations, united by a

profound spiritual heritage. Through this encounter, the exhibition becomes an intimate journey

into the artist’s heart and soul: a search for identity that is, at the same time, a search for

transcendence.

At the heart of the exhibition stands one of Ishii’s most significant works: a five-meter-long

handwritten transcription of the Kohelet, translated into Japanese and rendered through the

expressive language of traditional Japanese calligraphy.

The text resonates deeply with the Zen principle of non-attachment, echoing concepts found

throughout Buddhist sutras.

By writing these timeless words in the artistic language he has practiced since childhood, Ishii

allows two seemingly distant spiritual traditions to meet, revealing their shared contemplation of

impermanence, silence, and the human condition.

This monumental work is one of ten pieces originally created for the Jerusalem Biennale.

Together they form a visual meditation that includes a breathtaking interpretation of the Old City

of Jerusalem, expressed through a rich dialogue of media: from oil painting to collage, from

traditional ink to contemporary visual language.

Each work represents a different stage of the artist’s inner pilgrimage, inviting the viewer to

embark on a journey of reflection, where East and West, sacred texts and personal experience,

ultimately converge.