Lo que destaca por encima de todo es la maestría compositiva de Violeta Monreal. Cada shikishi es una estructura cuidadosamente equilibrada, donde papeles rasgados, piedras y fragmentos de plantas establecen las formas principales —acantilados, ríos, horizontes— mientras que los elementos más pequeños crean ritmo y detalle. A menudo, una piedra real o una planta prensada se colocan en un punto decisivo, convirtiéndose en el ancla de toda la composición.

What stands out above all is Violeta Monreal’s compositional mastery. Each board is a carefully balanced structure where torn papers, stones, and fragments of plants establish the main forms—cliffs, rivers, horizons—while smaller elements create rhythm and detail. Often a real stone or a pressed plant is placed at a decisive point, turning it into the anchor of the whole composition, and small accents of color—like a little red sun or a small flower—act like sparks of life.

Protecting Your Shikishi with Tatōshi Looking for the best way to protect your shikishi boards ? A tatōshi is the traditional solution....

During the Heian period, the practice of mounting short poems (waka) on small, square or rectangular sheets of ornamented paper became widespread in aristocratic circles. These sheets—often dyed, brushed with mica, or decorated with gold and silver—were then affixed onto larger surfaces such as folding screens (byōbu) or sliding doors (shōji), creating visually rich, multi-poetic compositions. These arrangements were known as shikishigata—literally, “in the form or style of s

French painter and pastel artist Yves Millet has long been inspired by the delicate balance between abstraction and evocation. His recent series of works on Japanese shikishi boards continues this exploration, offering a unique dialogue between European pastel traditions and East Asian aesthetics.

Haruka Miyamoto presents a series of sumi ink drawings on traditional Japanese shikishi boards, featuring the Xerces Blue and Morant’s Blue butterflies. These works continue her exploration of extinct species, a theme she also pursues through sculpture.

At Art San Gallery, we are proud to present the work of French painter Sébastien Coueffic, whose refined sense of structure, color, and atmosphere turns the ordinary into something quietly monumental. His paintings capture rooftops, façades, and fragments of urban life—not as documentation, but as carefully constructed harmonies of light and form. Rooted in figurative painting, Coueffic’s approach is shaped by a deep understanding of modernist color theory, structural clarity

In English, the Japanese word shikishi is sometimes translated as “colored paper.” At first glance, it seems to make sense: the kanji characters 色紙 literally mean “color” (色) and “paper” (紙). But in practice, this translation is both misleading and reductive.

Explore the tradition of tegata — sumo handprint autographs on shikishi boards — featuring Yokozuna Chiyonofuji Mitsugu.

Clotilde Clotilde Aksin-Frappier’s approach to oil pastels demonstrates the medium’s full potential as both a painterly and graphic tool.

Halna du Fretay recently started to work with Japanese shikishi, either as a direct painting surface or as a mounting board for Arches paper

The artist's pseudonym, "Suito," meaning "A city with beautiful rivers and lake," further enhances the artwork's contemplative ambiance.

This post provides valuable insights into the sizes, Japanese names, and uses of traditional shikishi boards.

A shikishi is a type of traditional Japanese mounting board or card that is often used for calligraphy and artwork.