About

Photo by Alicia Márquez

YUKIMI ANNAND is a calligrapher, lettering and book artist based in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, California. She was born in a small town in Boso peninsula, Japan. Her parents were flower farmers and she grew up with an appreciation of the beauty of nature and a respect for its power. After high school, she studied visual communication design in Tokyo. In the 1980s she worked as a graphic designer on mainly visual identity design programs for large and small corporations. She left her position as a director in the prestigious Takenobu Igarashi Studio to come to the U.S.

She discovered the world of Western calligraphy in 2000, and has been fascinated by that world ever since. She is passionate about the beauty of the Roman alphabet and creates unique artwork with her love of calligraphic mark making and textures incorporated with nature. She has been experimenting with the use of tools and mediums to expand her world of calligraphy. It has also been her great pleasure to share her ideas and to give workshops all around the world since 2012.

Yukimi’s work has frequently been shown in Letter Arts Review magazine as well as calligraphy books and any art related magazines and journals. And they have been included in calligraphy collections in Berlin, San Francisco, Moscow and private collections.

Juried and Group Exhibitions

2023
“Pushing the Envelope: Southern California Women Bookmakers” at California International Antique Book Fair, CA

2022
“Book Art Artifact” GBA Exhibit, San Francisco Center for the Book, CA
“Symbiosis II-The Art of Letters”, virtual exhibit, Singapore
“Exploration” The 33rd International Juried Exhibition of CCC, IL

2021
“Letters Nurtured in Solitude”, Washington Calligraphers Guild’s 45th Anniversary Exhibit, MD
“A Calligraphy Exhibit 2020” SFC Exhibit, Muzeo, CA

2019
“Calligraphy 2020” SFC Exhibit, Bowers Museum, CA
“Rendez-Vous” International Calligraphy Conference Exhibit, Canada

2018
“Surrealism” Washington Calligraphers Guild 40th Anniversary Exhibit, MD

2017
“International Calligraphy and Art Exhibit”, Live Worms Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“Kaligrafist”, Küçükçekmece, Istanbul
“The International Exhibition of Calligraphy”, The Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy in Moscow, Russia

2016
“Art of The Written Word” Exhibit, Holden Gallery, NC

2015
“The International Exhibition of Calligraphy”, The Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy in Moscow, Russia

2014
“Beyond the Words”, SFC Exhibit, CA
“Painted Letter” Exhibit, TX

2013
“Enchanted Garden”,Inspired Artists show, CA
“Letters: Expression of Culture” 2012 SFC Exhibit, CA

2011
The Washington Calligraphers Guild: 35th Anniversary Juried Exhibit, MD

2010
“Expressions – Images from Our Pens”, SFC Exhibi, CA

2009
“Line and Sprit” Japan-Belgium Letter Arts Exhibit, Japan

2007
“Responding to Our World” International Calligraphy Exhibit, Honorable Mention, CT
“More Than Words-The Art of Calligraphy” SFC Exhibit, CA

2006
RAND Corporation Calligraphy Exhibit, CA

2004
Cerritos College Student Art & Design Exhibition 2004, Award of excellence, CA
“ABSea”, SFC Exhibit, People’s Choice Award, CA

Collections

2017
“The Window and The Universe” and “To live” chosen for permanent collection of The Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy in Moscow, Russia

2016
“The Wall” book chosen for permanent collection of The Richard Harrison Collection at San Francisco Library, CA

2015
“Kumoma” chosen for permanent collection of The Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy in Moscow, Russia
“Rain” book chosen for permanent collection of The Richard Harrison Collection at San Francisco Library, CA

2011
“I am Meth”, “Magic Flute” and “Winter Trees” chosen for permanent collection of Berlin Calligraphy Collection, Germany

Selected Publication

2021
Italian Calligraphy Association ‘Manuale di Calligrafia’ Lazy Dog Publication

2020
Speedball Textbook 25th Edition

2019
Letter Arts Review 33-3, The Garden as Calligraphic Inspiration
Alphabet Volume 45, The Journal of the FOC
SCRIPSIT Volume 41 Unusual Lettering Tools

2018
Morphing Monograms by Barry Morentz and Marcia Friedman

2017
Calligraphy by Barbara Calzolari and Alessandro Salice

2015
Cloth Paper Scissors magazine March/April issue
Speedball Textbook 24th Edition
Letter Arts Review 29:2 The Process Issue

2014
SCRIPSIT Volume 36 “Bookmaking” issue

2013
Mastering Calligraphy by Gaye Godfrey – Nicholls
Alphabet Volume 38, FOC

2012
Letter Arts Review 26:4 The greeting card issue

2011
Letter Arts Review 25:3 Cover Artist
Calligraphy Book by Minako Sando

2007
Letter Arts Review 22:1 Responding to OurWorld Issue

Interview and Presentation

“Inspiration and Artistry” – An Interview with Yukimi Annand
Interviewed by Annie Cicale
https://j-laf.org/special_english/3204.html

Write on the Edge
A Conversation with Yukimi Annand
https://www.writeontheedge.org/news/conversation-yukimi-annand/

SFCB – San Francisco Center for Book Arts Online Studio Tours
From the Bench of Yukimi Annand
https://vimeo.com/736921014

カリグラフィーを生業にしようと思った時から、
良いカリグラファーとして良いものづくりをする
ということを目標にして過ごしてきました。
言葉と寄り添いながらの創作は面白く、
アイデアが湧いてきて、
あれもこれもと創りながら今日に至っています。

なぜ自分はこうして創り続けているのだろう、
という問いの答えがこの頃少し見えてきた気がします。

私は文字が好きでそれを描いている時、
それを学んでいる時がとても幸せだということ。
そして、創ることで自然や人々とのつながりが築かれ、
自身の存在を確かめることが出来ること。

カリグラフィーの可能性を探りながら、
これからも創り続けていこうと思います。

Ever since I decided to make a living from calligraphy, I have aimed to be a good calligrapher and create quality items.
It has been fun to create anything with words and texts. Ideas spring up, and I create art in different forms and mediums.

Why do I keep creating like this?
I think it is because learning and working with letters makes me very happy, and I have been building connections with nature, people, and myself.

I would like to continue to create by exploring the possibilities of calligraphy.

Why do I keep creating like this?
I think it is because learning and working with letters makes me very happy, and I have been building connections with nature, people, and myself.

I would like to continue to create by exploring the possibilities of calligraphy.

Above: photos by Jimana Cuerva