How do you feel when you hear the word “love”?
Something sweet, warm, and gentle — many people might think so.
But is love really only that?
When I encountered the latest work by calligrapher Shourin Iwasaki, I felt as though that very question was being asked of me.
＼ 岩﨑翔凛のSTORESはこちら！ ／
“Love is the beautiful chaos of life” — Where These Words Were Born
Bold yet supple brushstrokes that seem to carry the scent of ink.
A world of black spreading across the warm surface of Japanese washi paper.
The words Shourin Iwasaki has written in his newest work are these:
“Love is the beautiful chaos of life”
At first glance, it may seem like a contradictory phrase.
“Love” and “chaos” — two things that appear to be opposites, bridged together by the word “beautiful.”
But think about it for a moment.
When you first encountered true love, was your heart at peace?
Your chest trembling, sleepless nights, joy and anxiety all tangled together, emotions swirling beyond all reason — isn’t that what love is?
Love is not order.
It is precisely because love cannot be controlled that love is love.
The Depth of “Chaos”
The word “chaos” (混沌, konton) has its roots in ancient Chinese philosophy.
In Laozi’s Tao Te Ching, chaos is described as the undivided state of nothingness that existed before all things came into being — a state that contains every beginning, every possibility.
That is chaos.
Chaos is not mere disorder.
Within it dwells everything that has yet to take form.
It is the womb of all possibility, the state before order is born.
Is love not something very much like that?
“Passion,” “attachment,” “devotion,” “longing,” “ecstasy,” “jealousy,” “compassion” — there are countless words to describe love.
That is to say, love is too rich and too complex to be contained within any single word.
Love is so vast that it can only exist within chaos.
Words That Orbit Love
The Japanese language holds many beautiful words for love.
“Aishaku” (愛惜) — the feeling of treasuring something so dearly that you grieve its loss. To love is also to carry the fear of losing.
“Airen” (愛憐) — to love and to feel compassion. Love, at times, means feeling another’s pain as if it were your own.
“Jiai” (慈愛) — a love born of tenderness. The joy of giving without asking for anything in return.
“Aibetsuriku” (愛別離苦) — a Buddhist term meaning the suffering of being separated from those we love. It is because of love that parting is painful. Love is light, and at the same time, shadow.
These words remind us that love never has just one face.
Love exists while holding contradictions within itself.
That is why people are drawn to love, lost in love, and kept alive by love.
Calligraphy Gives Words a Life of Their Own
Standing before a work by Shourin Iwasaki, the words cease to be something merely “read.”
“Love is the beautiful chaos of life” — these words, once written by hand, become something alive.
A calligrapher’s brush does not simply glide across paper.
The breath drawn into the brush, the pace of each stroke, the tension and release of pressure — all of it is engraved into the paper as lines of ink.
A trembling line holds emotion; a powerful, deliberate stop holds will.
Calligraphy is a miracle of a single moment, where language, body, and time converge.
There is something that cannot be conveyed in print, and yet dwells within the trace of a brush.
When the words “Love is the beautiful chaos of life” were written by the hand of Shourin Iwasaki — they descended onto the paper no longer as a concept, but as a living presence.
I Hope You Find the Beauty Within the Chaos
Life does not go as planned.
Plans fall apart, relationships change, emotions shift and sway.
That can be painful.
Yet Shourin sees beauty in that very chaos.
Because he loves, he is lost.
Because he loves, he is hurt.
Because he loves, he rises again.
Chaos is proof of being alive.
Your life, too, exists within a beautiful chaos.
That is what this work seems to whisper, quietly.
Discover More of Shourin Iwasaki’s Work
His latest works and behind-the-scenes moments from the studio are also shared on Instagram.
The instant the brush moves, the time spent choosing words, the finished piece — follow along and step into the daily world of calligrapher Shourin Iwasaki.
＼ 岩﨑翔凛のInstagramはこちら！ ／
Bring Shourin Iwasaki’s Calligraphy Into Your Space
Shourin Iwasaki’s calligraphy works are now available through his online shop on STORES.
Works including “Love is the beautiful chaos of life” can be brought into your home, your office, or given as a heartfelt gift to someone special.
A single calligraphy piece can change the atmosphere of a space entirely.
Words that greet you each morning gently support you through the day.
We invite you to experience that for yourself.
“Love is the beautiful chaos of life” — how did these words land with you?
The answer is different for every life lived.
Calligrapher Shourin Iwasaki will continue to face words, and to hold his brush.
＼ 岩﨑翔凛のSTORESはこちら！ ／
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