Maki Kimura is a Japanese calligrapher based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After over two decades of professional work in the United States as an award-winning collaborative pianist, she returned to calligraphy following a serious hand injury.
She began studying traditional Japanese calligraphy in childhood and later exhibited in Tokyo as a member of Hakuho-Sha, receiving several awards. After moving to the United States in 2003, she focused on her musical career in New Mexico, setting aside calligraphy while adapting to a new cultural environment.
Her recent practice has re-engaged calligraphy as a primary medium, creating contemporary work rooted in traditional Japanese materials, techniques, and aesthetics. Her work explores the expressive possibilities of written characters and the relationship between tradition and contemporary visual language.
She was recently selected for SURFACE: Emerging Artists of New Mexico at Harwood Art Center and the ZEN exhibition at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.
