For Anyone Visiting a Gallery for the First Time

No Entry Fee, No Obligation to Buy

Many people stop at the same spot outside a gallery door, wondering whether they are supposed to buy something, or dress a certain way. At my solo exhibition Zen, at Palette Gallery in Azabu-Juban, entry is free, there is no guest book to sign, and no obligation to buy a single work. I only wanted a place a passer-by could enter without bracing themselves. The door stays open through the run (August 5 to 10, 2026). Look in, and if it isn't for you, walk back out. That is a way of seeing too.

There is no dress code, so don't overthink it. The one thing I do recommend is shoes you can walk in. With calligraphy, what you see changes as you step back half a pace and then lean back in — that small back-and-forth is the whole point. A line shows you more when you can move quietly across the floor than when you stand frozen in heels.

It Is Fine to Look in Silence, Without "Getting It"

In a small gallery, the artist is often in the room. At Zen I sit by the wall for most of the day. Someone comes in, gives a small nod, and looks in silence — and that is exactly right. You are not being rude by not speaking to me. If anything, I don't want to interrupt the time a visitor spends alone with a work.

But if you do want to ask something, ask anytime. "What does this say?" or "I don't really understand it, but it caught me" — both are welcome. Not understanding is the most honest way in. I've written about how to look at the line in How to Enjoy a Calligraphy Exhibition, but no knowledge is required. I hang each half-sheet (35 by 68 centimeters) so the center of the frame sits just below a standing viewer's eye line, because a slight upward gaze is where the opening stroke lives most fully. That height can't be set with the fingers — I decided it with my body, stepping three paces back on a ladder and adjusting again. When you step back half a pace to look, the height I measured with my body finally meets your gaze.

Photos and Time, at Your Own Pace

Whether photography is allowed varies by gallery. At Zen you may take pictures without flash, as long as other visitors aren't in frame. If in doubt, just ask at the desk. Don't mind a no — every gallery draws some line to protect the work.

There is no rule about how long to stay. Some leave in five minutes, some stay an hour. My show layers calligraphy, scent, and sound; the deeper you go, a thin thread of sandalwood settles over the smell of ink. People who notice the faintly sweet trace of animal glue tend to stay longer. But if you're in a hurry, see the one work that caught you and go. You don't have to see all of it.

I chose Azabu-Juban precisely for the quiet that lets a visitor take that slow half-step — I wrote about the town in Why Azabu-Juban. Dates and directions are on the Zen exhibition page. The door is open. Don't brace yourself — just wear comfortable shoes and drift in. That is the best way to walk through a show.