Art… at the stroke of a pen

Wildwood Park

With a steady hand, an expert eye and endless imagination, Janet Murata creates works of art one pen stroke at a time.

The Wildwood Park resident — a professional calligrapher and creator of fine things — is the owner and proprietor of Michiko Craft.

“Sustainability and upcycling are how my business began, and I turned to calligraphy for my mental health, as therapy,” said Murata, who will lead a sold-out workshop called Craft + Craft Beer: Gothic Calligraphy at Sookram’s Brewing Co. on March 10.

“I’ve rested in this space, and it’s now my primary source of income and what I’m best known for publicly.”

Murata — who was part of the Winnipeg Public Library’s Makers-in-Residence program with Tracy Charette Fehr in 2024 and is a member-at-large of the Calligraphers’ Guild of Manitoba — likes to keep a busy schedule.

Once a month, along with fellow calligrapher Nina Tran, the pair goes live on Instagram: “We gather as a global community, and casually talk about calligraphy, mental health, and sometimes laugh, sometimes cry. We call it our ‘not a podcast.’”

Murata will also be teaching an online introduction to black-letter calligraphy in April and May and will be part of the Flourish Festival of Letters and Art in October in Calgary, Alta.

Having taught numerous sessions and workshops to countless people through the years, Murata said she loves the personal, unique dynamics of writing.

“The touch of a pen on paper is like a fingerprint … it can’t be duplicated or altered, and it’s why I think the art of writing is making a comeback,” Murata said.

The southwest Winnipeg resident honed her craft by practicing for many hours and learning from trained mentors and teachers, as well as taking online classes.

“It’s absolutely for anybody who has the dexterity to pick up a pen. I’ve taught people aged five to 85 years old. Five-year-olds, of course, are very curious and like sponges,” Murata said, noting she has taught private classes to younger kids.

Murata said gothic calligraphy follows a broad-edge, black-letter style, characterized by “bold, dark structured strokes that one might find on medieval manuscripts or a German beer stein.”

Having mastered the art, Murata said it’s become an important part of her life.

“Calligraphy is not just an art form, but a mental health survival tool,” she said.

“It allows my body to slow down and shows that the body can have a regulated nervous system.”

“It’s also a way to turn language into visual poetry … and a beautiful way to reflect my views, beliefs and love of nature,” Murata said, adding she also loves origami, the traditional Japanese paper art form.

Katrina Craig, program and community outreach co-ordinator at the Manitoba Craft Council, emphasized the uniqueness of Murata’s creations.

“Janet’s work is quite original,” Craig said. She acknowledged, too that part of the appeal of calligraphy is it is “a less commonly known and less practised craft.”

Craig said the council hopes to partner with Murata for future events.

Visit Michiko Craft on Facebook or Instagram for more information.