Shikishi – Japanese Art Boards
What is a Shikishi?
Shikishi (色紙) are traditional Japanese art boards used for calligraphy, ink, and painting. They are made from several layers of washi paper laminated together to create a rigid surface, typically finished with a distinctive gold border. For centuries, this refined format has been used by artists and calligraphers for poetry, brushwork, and small-format paintings.
Today, this elegant format continues to inspire contemporary artists. At Art San Gallery, several artists explore the possibilities of painting and mixed media on traditional shikishi art boards, creating original artworks that connect traditional craftsmanship with contemporary artistic practice. This growing body of work is sometimes referred to as shikishi art: artworks created on traditional Japanese shikishi boards.
Understanding Shikishi Art Board
Before exploring contemporary practice, it is useful to establish what a shikishi is—linguistically, historically, materially, and visually. The following pages introduce the key aspects of this format.
→ See The Meaning of Shikishi: This page explores the linguistic and philological background of the word shikishi. While often translated as “colored paper,” the term refers to something far more specific and culturally significant. Here, we clarify the distinction and explain why this mistranslation persists.
→ See The Shikishi Board: This page examines the physical characteristics of a shikishi: its materials, layered construction, format, and traditional uses. From laminated washi papers to the distinctive gold border, it addresses a simple question: what exactly is a shikishi?
→ See The Shikishi Format & Aesthetic: This page explores the origins of the shikishi format, from its roots in Heian-period shikishigata to the standardized boards used today. It highlights how changing materials and evolving aesthetics shaped a format that continues to influence artistic expression.
→ See A Guide to Sizes and Names of Shikishi: This page introduces the different formats of shikishi boards used in artistic practice today. It explains their standardized dimensions in centimeters and inches, along with the names commonly used to describe each format. Understanding these variations helps clarify how artists choose a size that shapes the composition and presence of the artwork.
→ See Selected Papers Used in Japanese Shikishi Boards: This page introduces two papers used in the preparation of shikishi boards, selected by Art San Gallery in collaboration with a professional paper mounter for their versatility with contemporary artistic media. Understanding these materials helps clarify how the surface of the board influences the visual presence of artworks created on shikishi.
Shikishi Art in Contemporary Practice
While the shikishi was historically used for calligraphy and ink painting, many artists today explore it as a support for contemporary artistic practice. Through oil painting, pastel, acrylic, and mixed media, the format becomes a space where traditional materials meet modern artistic approaches. At Art San Gallery, this exploration takes form through the Shikishi Art Project.
The Shikishi Art Project
The Shikishi Art Project is an ongoing initiative by Art San Gallery that invites artists to work with the Japanese shikishi as a contemporary artistic support. The shikishi is here approached not as a fixed or nostalgic object, but as a material, formal, and conceptual space open to experimentation. Rather than proposing a single definition or aesthetic, the project documents how artists today respond to the shikishi’s material qualities, format, golden borders, and aesthetic.
Artists & practices
The Shikishi Art Project is grounded in real artistic practices. Artists are invited to engage with the shikishi not as a decorative format, but as a working support—testing its limits, resistances, and possibilities through their own medium.
Artists currently participating in the project include:
→ See Artists & Practices
