Calligrapher Fumio Mieno performs in New York for the first time

Exciting to perform in Times Square

Participating in “Artexpo New York”

Fumio Mieno, a calligrapher based in Oita Prefecture in Japan, began her calligraphy career at the age 8. In recent years, she has been expanding her activities overseas to Singapore, Paris, and the United States, showcasing her dynamic calligraphy performances that one would not expect from her petite body.

In April, 2025, Ms. Mieno visited New York for the first time to participate in “Artexpo New York,” a gathering of more than 200 innovative domestic and international galleries, art publishers, and artists from more than 27 countries. In 2022, after participating in an art exhibition held at the Louvre Museum in Paris, she was approached by a gallery representative who asked her to come to perform at the Art Expo in New York. At that time, she thought, “I never know when an opportunity like this will come. so I decided to go right away!”

During her stay in New York, she performed guerrilla performances in Central Park, Times Square, Washington Square, and other famous locations. We interviewed her and asked what she saw, felt, and changed during her first visit to New York.

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Q. How did you feel after performing in various places in Manhattan, New York?

Mieno: I felt like “I broke out of my shell” more than I did in Japan. When I perform in public in Japan, I get nervous and worry what if people would look at me strangely, but here I didn’t feel that way much, and I was able to do it without hesitation.

Q. There are many street performers here, so you must have had an easy time.

Mieno: Yes, it was. New Yorkers were very responsive, and they talked to me casually. When I perform in Japan, people look at my performance quite elegantly not crazy loud as New Yorkers.

Gaining confidence through the cheers from New Yorkers

Q. Did you have a sense of acceptance after your performance in New York?

Mieno: I have a sense of being accepted, but I also have to seek a form that is accepted on the spot. I felt that it is important to have a part to stick to and a part to be flexible and experiment with various things. To be honest, I hit a wall when I came to New York. However, I gained confidence when I was able to shorten the distance between myself and New Yorkers through the comments of “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” “cool,” “beautiful,” and cheers for my dynamic movements while performing at various locations.

Q. What was your most memorable experience as a performer?

Mieno: Times Square, of course. I was worried that I might not be able to perform, it was extremely cold and windy, so it was dangerous, and there was the risk of contaminating the place. When I was preparing, people looked at me like, “What is she doing?” But once I started, people would gather around, call out to me, take pictures, etc. Even though nobody was watching, I was still happy to experience the feeling of being able to perform in Times Square to satisfy my desire.

Q. Even if you are hesitant because of people’s eyes when you pick up the brush and perform, you seem to know that this is what you want to do.

Mieno: It’s a mixture of nervousness, calmness, and a burning heart.

What I feel will be used as material for the next work.

Q. What did you want New Yorkers to feel?

Mieno: Rather than wanting to convey something myself, I wanted to hear what they felt free, which varies from piece to piece. I wanted to hear what people felt free. I am using that as material for the next piece.

Q. What did you feel most from the response in New York this time?

Mieno: I felt that the best thing was that I could see the reality of “I have to work harder, think harder, and study harder”

Q. You have experience performing in Singapore and Paris, were there any differences between them?

Mieno: In the U.S., it is quite easy to receive something flashy and dynamic reaction. In Paris, I experienced that some simple and chic things are received well. Singapore was rather quiet and serious.

Q. Is there a specific country you would like to work in the future?

Mieno: As long as there are people there, it doesn’t matter where I want to do it. Wherever I go, I do some research, but generally, once I arrive, many things are beyond my imagination. I often experience things that I couldn’t understand even if I looked them up in pictures, such as the scenery and the relationships with people. I would like to go anywhere to perform as long as I don’t die.

Q. What is your new impression of New York after coming here?

Mieno: I used to worry about being discriminated against if I went abroad as an Asian, but New Yorker was so kind. I also had the impression that in Japan, people are very considerate of others, and I felt that If I did something a little different, some people would look at me in a bad way, saying, “Wow, look at her” or they would laugh or take pictures. But New Yorkers, if they are not interested, they don’t bother, they don’t care, they just go their way. I didn’t experience any mean-spirited from New Yorkers. There are all kinds of people here, and I feel that everyone is living their own life.

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New Yorkers may not understand the meaning of her calligraphy in the performance or what they may be writing. Nevertheless, as she performed in various places, she seemed to have a renewed sense that “not only the meaning but also the feeling through the movement” is the essential part of the expression. It seems that the experience of this visit was “a good opportunity to experience many insights” for Ms. Mieno to aim for even higher goals. We would like to keep an eye on her future activities.

Fumio Mieno　She creates calligraphy works and gives live performances under the creed of “living while mastering what you love.
[Web] www.fumio-shodo.com
[Instagram] www.instagram.com/oita_shodo_fumio

（Published in the June 14, 2025 issue）