Yoko Takenami
Born and raised in Japan, with a year in the US as an exchange student, Yoko has always been interested in people and art. She started Japanese calligraphy at the age of seven and was qualified to teach in 1990 by Zen-Sho-gei, one of the major calligraphy organizations in Japan. Since 1994, Yoko has been working in London as an interpreter originally at BBC World TV and then as freelance. She published ’Simple Art of Japanese Calligraphy’ (Cico Books) in 1994 which was translated into several languages and was reprinted last summer. She has held calligraphy workshops in various venues such as British Library, West Dean College and Japan Society. Traveling is her passion as she goes back to Japan periodically for inspiration.