Haiga is a traditional Japanese
form of poetry and art which unites a poem with a brush and ink Sumi painting
although the evolution of Haiga has grown to include digital images.
The poems used in Haiga include Haiku,
Senryu and Tanka.
- Haiku is a form of poetry that focuses on a brief moment in time, and a sense of sudden illumination or enlightenment
- Senryu is usually written in the present tense and references some aspect of human nature or emotions
- Tanka poems are written about nature, seasons, love, sadness and other strong emotions
Susumi Takiguchi, founder of the
World Haiku Club, tells us that simplicity and irony are typical traits of the
traditional Haiga. He writes, "Haiga is unromantic, down to earth, unpretentious
and humorous, dealing with unremarkable, day-to-day subjects and objects."
"Hai" means comic and "Ga" means painting.
While the haiku and the painting
in a Haiga share the same space, they are meant to complement one another.
The third element of Haiga is the
calligraphy which determines the look of the poem on the page and communicates
its essence.
Haiga was traditionally produced
in a variety of formats, including hanging scrolls, hand scrolls, folding
screens, and fans. Today it is produced on handmade paper and modern Haiga
allows the use of photography, as well as digital images.
Stylistically, Haiga vary widely
based on the preferences and training of the individual painter. Some were
reproduced as woodblock prints. The subjects painted likewise vary widely, but
are generally elements mentioned in the calligraphy, or poetic images which add
meaning or depth to that expressed by the poem.
The moon is a common subject in
these poems and paintings while other subjects, ranging from depictions of Mount
Fuji to rooftops, are frequently represented with a minimum of brushstrokes,
thus evoking elegance and beauty in simplicity.
See below for some MoonInk Haiga and visit www.moonink.co.uk to see some more examples of Western Tanka poetry, the 5 line version of a Haiku. Subscribe to the newsletter to get the free Poem of the Month.
Please contact MoonInk on info@moonink.co.uk if you have any questions.
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