Twenty-five works inviting viewers to contemplate the here and now through the art of Japanese calligraphy are displayed throughout the guest rooms and restaurant
Naoshima Ryokan ROKA, an authentic yet contemporary ryokan located on the island of Naoshima, is pleased to present “Verweile doch! du bist so schön!”, a solo exhibition by Sachiyo Kaneko, an internationally active artist whose practice is rooted in Japanese calligraphy.
The exhibition marks the tenth instalment of ROKA’s Featured Artist program.
Running from September 15, 2026, through 11:00 a.m. on April 19, 2027, the exhibition comprises twenty-five hanging-scroll work displayed throughout all guest rooms and the restaurant.
Calligraphy That Bears Witness to the Here and Now
Drawing on her training in the classical calligraphic traditions of China and Japan, Sachiyo Kaneko has developed a wide-ranging artistic practice that extends beyond traditional calligraphy to encompass contemporary two-dimensional work, video, and performance.
While preparing the art pieces for this exhibition, Kaneko participated in a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8. The second part of the symphony draws its text from the final scene of Goethe’s Faust.
As Kaneko reflected on the words of Faust, a thought emerged within her:
“To live is to savor this very moment to the full.”
From this idea came a body of work created to bear witness to the here and now of those spending time at ROKA.
Returning to the origins of calligraphy and the written character, Kaneko has mounted these pieces as traditional hanging scrolls. In doing so, she brings together a form passed down through centuries with her own sensibilities as an artist living in the present day.
The exhibition title, ‘Verweile doch! du bist so schön!’, is derived from the celebrated line in Faust: “Linger a while- thou art so fair!”
To savor the moment before us and recognize the beauty within it, even as time continues to pass: this exhibition is also an invitation to become more conscious of the experience of time itself during one’s stay at the ryokan.
Without Beginning or End, Everything Is Connected
A subtle underlying theme of the exhibition can be found in Bampō kiitsu, displayed in Guest Room One.
The Buddhist expression Bampō kiitsu suggests that all things return to one—that there is neither beginning nor end, and that everything is interconnected.
This idea resonates throughout the exhibition, including in A-Un, a work referring to the open-mouthed “A” and closed-mouthed “Un,” which together symbolize the beginning and end of the universe.
The works draw on words and texts from different periods and cultures. Some feature familiar Japanese words such as ai (love), raku (joy or ease), kan (contemplation), niji (rainbow), yōkoso (welcome), and mata ashita (see you tomorrow). Others take their subjects from classical Japanese waka poetry and haiku, a poem by Li Bai, and contemporary Mexican poetry.
Chōsei Miō expresses the wish to live as though one were always at the center of one’s own life, regardless of age or circumstance. May Tomorrow Be Sunny carries a hope for fair weather both on the next day of one’s journey and in the life that lies ahead. Welcome warmly receives those arriving at the ryokan.
Although each work contains its own words and imagery, together they quietly convey the connections between present and past, Japan and the wider world, one person and another, and each moment in time.
The Body and Time Inscribed in the Line
Kaneko regards Japanese calligraphy as “the art of the line.”
A single line contains more than the visible form left upon the paper. It carries the movement of the brush as it approaches, touches, and leaves the surface; the pressure and speed of the stroke; the artist’s breath and emotions; and the time through which the work came into being.
By following a line with their eyes, viewers may retrace something of the artist’s physical movement and the time embodied within the act of writing.
While ink forms the foundation of the exhibition, some work also incorporate pure gold, mica, and decorated paper. The changing weight of the lines, the density and diffusion of the ink, the texture of the paper, and the way gold and mica respond to light are all essential elements of the individual work.
For Kaneko, negative space is not an empty area.
It is a place where the viewer’s memories, emotions, and imagination may enter, allowing a different landscape to emerge each day.
In Hyakka Ryōran, displayed in the restaurant, even the mounting has deliberately been kept white. Viewers are invited to imagine their own profusion of flowers and brilliant colors within the open space—a playful exploration of the possibilities of emptiness.
Inhabited with Art in the Guest Room
At ROKA, we value not only the act of looking at art, but also the experience of spending time with it in the private setting of a guest room.
Upon arriving in the room, at dusk, in the stillness of the night, and again the following morning, the same piece may reveal a different landscape through its lines and open spaces as the light and the viewer’s state of mind change.
Created around the idea of attending to the here and now, Kaneko’s works resonate deeply with the experience of repeatedly encountering a single artwork throughout a stay at a ryokan.
Surrounded by the natural beauty of Naoshima, guests are invited to trace the lines of ink, allow their thoughts to enter the surrounding space, and savor the time that is uniquely their own.
Artist Profile
Sachiyo Kaneko
Sachiyo Kaneko is a “poet of ink.”
She began studying Japanese calligraphy at the age of seven. Building upon her training in the classical calligraphic traditions of China and Japan, her practice extends beyond traditional calligraphy to include contemporary two-dimensional works—most notably her Under the Moonlight series—as well as video and performance, which she has presented around the world.
Kaneko studied international relations at Tsuda University. She has travelled to more than thirty countries across four continents.
Her longstanding exploration of traditional Eastern art, combined with her broad engagement with the wider world, brings a distinctive sensibility, worldview, and perspective to her work.
Her work has received numerous honors, including selection for Nitten, the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition, and the Salon d’Automne in France. Currently based in Madrid, Spain, she continues to work and exhibit in Japan and internationally.
Her art pieces are held in collections including P&G Japan; the Faculty of Agriculture at Kobe University; MUAC, the University Museum of Contemporary Art at the National Autonomous University of Mexico; La E.O.I. de Collado Villalba in Spain; Mizuho Bank’s Singapore Branch; and INPEX Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
Official website
https://www.kinkochan.com/
Artist’s Comment
I carry out my work with the hope of bringing the traditional Japanese art of calligraphy to the world and into the future.
Naoshima is an art destination attracting international attention, and within it, ROKA—a venue that takes great care to provide a space of exceptional quality—is precisely the place where this vision can be realized. I am truly delighted and deeply grateful.
While preparing the works for this exhibition, I had the opportunity to perform in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8.
Calligraphy and choral singing are inseparably linked for me. My understanding of song deepens through the practice of calligraphy, while my understanding of calligraphy deepens as I engage with song.
The text for the second part of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony is taken from the final scene of Goethe’s Faust. There were passages that I found difficult to grasp, so I began by revisiting the work as a whole.
When I finally found an interpretation that felt right to me, a philosophy emerged that seemed almost Buddhist in nature. My own understanding of Buddhism is still limited, but the message I heard at that moment was this:
“To live is to savor this very moment to the full.”
It coincided with a theme that I had recently been exploring in my own life.
I wanted to create art pieces that would bear witness to the here and now of the guests spending time at ROKA.
With this thought in mind, I allowed myself to be guided by the brush, and these works emerged.
Returning to the origins of calligraphy, I mounted these character-based work as hanging scrolls.
I invite you to experience calligraphy that captures the spirit of the twenty-first century—a tradition looking toward the future.
Exhibition Information
Exhibition: Verweile doch! du bist so schön! (Linger a while- thou art so fair! )
Dates: September 15, 2026–11:00 a.m. on April 19, 2027
Venue: Naoshima Ryokan ROKA
Exhibition areas: All guest rooms and the restaurant
Number of works: 25
Works displayed in the guest rooms are generally available for viewing only by staying guests. Visitors who are not staying at ROKA are kindly requested to contact us in advance regarding viewing opportunities.
About Naoshima Ryokan ROKA
Naoshima Ryokan ROKA opened in April 2022 as Naoshima’s first authentic ryokan, offering guests an opportunity to experience the island’s satoyama landscape and immerse themselves in contemporary art.
Each of its eleven guest rooms is designed as a suite with a contemporary Japanese aesthetic, incorporating natural materials from the Setouchi region, including wood, earth, and stone.
Throughout the ryokan, guests will encounter works by leading Japanese contemporary artists, including sculpture and photography by internationally acclaimed artist Kohei Nawa.
By presenting art within the lived environment of a ryokan, ROKA offers a distinctive experience in which guests may spend time with each work and encounter it repeatedly throughout their stay.
Roka combines two Japanese words:
Roka (炉火), referring to the fire of an irori hearth.
Kasumi (霞), evoking morning mist and haze.