Shizu Usami - Calligrapher / Specialist in Script History and
Cultural Expression
‐Recognized by the U.S. Government as an Extraordinary Ability Status Holder
‐Based in Washington State, USA
Shizu Usami is a professional calligrapher and researcher of script origins, currently working in Washington State.
With over thirty years of expertise in calligraphy and cultural education, she also serves as a cultural liaison and curator, supported by her nationally certified Curator License in Japan.
Shizu Usami is a professional calligrapher with over thirty years of experience, known for her mastery of Japanese script arts and her
contributions to education and cultural exchange. Based in Washington State, USA, she works globally as a calligraphy artist, dedicated to sharing the depth, history, and expressive power of kanji and calligraphy with audiences around the world.
Throughout her lifelong career, she has presented work at the United Nations, contributed pieces to international conferences, created commissioned artworks for Japanese government-related organizations and global corporations, and engaged in public lectures and writing.
ed by the U.S. government as an Individual of Extraordinary Ability, officially launching her professional activities within the United States.
This designation is awarded to artists and scholars who demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim.
She now works throughout Washington State as a calligrapher, educator, and cultural liaison.
Her expertise extends beyond calligraphy art to include the study of the origins and evolution of written characters, as well as cross
‐cultural communication. She holds Japan’s national Curator License (Museum Studies) and a high school teaching license, enabling her to bridge artistic practice with academic and museum - based cultural work.
Shizu earned her degree in Calligraphy (Education and Arts) from the University of Teacher Education Fukuoka. She later joined the Moji Bunka Kenkyu-jyo (Institute for Kanji Script and Cultural Studies) in Kyoto, where she studied under Dr. S. Shirakawa-one of East Asia’s most influential grammatologists and a recipient of the Order of Culture.
In 2004, she became the youngest person certified to teach Shirakawa Grammatology, the foundation of modern kanji education in East Asia. In 2009, she expanded her artistic training by studying textile design at the University of the Arts London (Central Saint Martins).
Today, Shizu continues to develop programs that integrate calligraphy, cultural history, and community engagement.
Her work aims to create meaningful cultural connections and to introduce the beauty and intellectual richness of languages from around the world to diverse global audiences.