{"id":600186301,"date":"2026-03-04T02:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T08:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.winnipegfreepress.com\/our-communities\/west\/2026\/03\/04\/art-at-the-stroke-of-a-pen"},"modified":"2026-03-04T02:01:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T08:01:11","slug":"art-at-the-stroke-of-a-pen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winnipegfreepress.com\/our-communities\/west\/2026\/03\/04\/art-at-the-stroke-of-a-pen","title":{"rendered":"Art\u2026 at the stroke of a pen"},"content":{"rendered":"

With a steady hand, an expert eye and endless imagination, Janet Murata creates works of art one pen stroke at a time.<\/p>\n

The Wildwood Park resident — a professional calligrapher and creator of fine things — is the owner and proprietor of Michiko Craft.<\/p>\n

“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<\/em> at Sookram’s Brewing Co. on March 10.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Janet\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Janet Murata — a professional calligrapher and creator of fine things — is the owner and proprietor of Michiko Craft. The Wildwood Park resident regularly holds online workshops, goes live on Instagram, and leads workshops.<\/p><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n

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.’”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Having taught numerous sessions and workshops to countless people through the years, Murata said she loves the personal, unique dynamics of writing.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

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.”<\/p>\n

Having mastered the art, Murata said it’s become an important part of her life.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Supplied\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Supplied photo<\/p>\n

Janet Murata — a professional calligrapher and creator of fine things — is the owner and proprietor of Michiko Craft. The Wildwood Park resident regularly holds online workshops, and goes live on Instagram.<\/p><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n

“Calligraphy is not just an art form, but a mental health survival tool,” she said.<\/p>\n

“It allows my body to slow down and shows that the body can have a regulated nervous system.”<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

Katrina Craig, program and community outreach co-ordinator at the Manitoba Craft Council, emphasized the uniqueness of Murata’s creations.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

Craig said the council hopes to partner with Murata for future events.<\/p>\n

Visit Michiko Craft on Facebook or Instagram for more information.<\/p>

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