Born into a family of calligraphers, with both her great-grandfather and grandmother practicing the art, KOUYOU KITAZUMI(北住 紅耀) began studying Japanese calligraphy at the age of six. At twelve, she attained the highest rank of 8-dan. At fifteen, she became the only candidate nationwide that year to attain the highest rank of 7-dan in the Modern Calligraphy Division. In the same year, she became the youngest person ever to qualify as an Assistant Professor of Calligraphy and the youngest to serve as a calligraphy juror. At twenty-three, she qualified as a Master Calligrapher through the Japan Society of Calligraphy Education. Since childhood, she has received more than 70 awards and distinctions in calligraphy exhibitions and competitions. Alongside her practice as a calligrapher, KOUYOU KITAZUMI has built an international career as a Creative Director and Designer, working across Japan, the United States, Sweden, Finland, Spain, and beyond. She has led creative direction, design, and branding for global brands around the world. In both 2023 and 2024, she was ranked No. 1 worldwide in the Global Brand Design Ranking for advertising brand design, and No. 2 worldwide in the 2009–2025 all-time Design Leaderboard for advertising design. She has also served as a jury member for the Effie Awards Global Best of the Best. Her calligraphic practice is equally international. Her work has been presented across the United States, South Korea, Finland, Sweden, Spain, and other countries, and she has conducted workshops at universities, galleries, and international design conferences. At the heart of her practice is the intersection of two disciplines: traditional Japanese calligraphy and design. The brushwork, ink, line, negative space, and rhythm cultivated since childhood meet the typography, composition, color, art direction, and brand design thinking developed throughout her career at the forefront of global design. By reconstructing these elements as a single visual expression, she seeks to liberate calligraphy from the conventional boundaries of written language.

ARTSY FARTSY has 5 works by KOUYOU KITAZUMI. The work returns again and again to Japanese calm and minimalism.

Where the work fits

Many of the works are suited to the living room.

Every print is made to order in our studio in Copenhagen on 230 g matte fine art paper, in five sizes from 21×30 to 100×140 cm, with frames in oak and black for all of them. Want it ready to hang? Our framing service fits the frame before it ships. Meet more of the people behind the prints in meet the artists.