Toko Shinoda (b. 1913), one of the foremost calligraphers in Japan, is known as a master of the intricate manner of writing tracing back 3000 years. Shinoda began creating abstract work in 1947. A two-year stay in New York in the 1950s introduced her to the work of abstract expressionists and inspired her to go beyond the traditional boundaries of controlled calligraphy and use expansive, dynamic brush strokes. Her work is bold and daring, slashing across the paper’s surface, carving out a landscape inhabited by both warrior and poet.(via)