Shingo Nozao born in 1982　

Shingo Nozao believes Japanese Calligraphy is an art that exists in the moment&. Liveperformance is
the vessel that allows the moment and artistic essence of JapaneseCalligraphy to be communicated.

Calligraphy characters are written based on stroke order. When you look at characters, youcan
recognize the stroke order in which they were written. By tracing this stroke order inyour mind as you
appreciate a work, it is possible to re-live the intention and feelings ofartists at the moment they
composed the work. This characteristic is unique to JapaneseCalligraphy; we cannot experience such
an intimate connection to the artist when looking atpainting.

Born in 1982 in Osaka, at the age of 17 Shingo became fascinated with Yuichi Inoue (1916-1985).
Inspired by Inoue, Shingo entered Hanazono university in Kyoto for academic studiesin Japanese
Calligraphy. During his studies, Shingo was awarded first prize for threeconsecutive years in Japan 's
biggest calligraphy exhibition, the All Japan Secondary andTertiary Calligraphy Exhibition.

Shingo commenced activities as an independent calligrapher in 2002. His first solo exhibition[Inori
(Prayer)]was held in 2004 at Kyotos I'd Gallery. In the same year Shingo was thecontract calligrapher
at Shochiku Kyoto Film Studios where his hand (double for actorscomposing calligraphy) and
calligraphy featured in numerous films and television drama.

In 2005, Shingo moved to Melbourne, Australia. During this period he ramped-up efforts inlive
performance, and participated in various festivals, events, and held solo exhibitions.

Returning to Japan in 2007, Shingo worked as a calligraphy instructor in secondary schools inOsaka.
In 2008 he formed the calligraphy performance group [Sumibachi]The groupcollaborates with the
performing arts and explores new possibilities in the art of calligraphy.The first performance of
Sumibachi, [Hakkokuon](The Sound of a Hundred Shades of Black),was staged in Kyoto in 2009. In
2011 the group performed [Takumashiku Ikiru InochiTotomo ni](In Harmony with Unbridled Life
Force) at Sakuya Konohana Kan Gardens inOsaka.

In 2011 Shingo returned to Melbourne, and is currently conducting workshops in schools,exhibitions,
live performances, and actively promoting Japanese Calligraphy culture inAustralia.