Kotodama, The Way of the Mirror is a project that builds a symbolic bridge between Spain and Japan through their pilgrimage routes—the Camino de Santiago and the Shikoku Henro—and through the learning of shodō, Japanese calligraphy. The proposal is articulated through two disciplines, exhibition and cinema, which complement and enhance one another while at the same time preserving full autonomy.
This section presents the exhibition dimension of the project, Kokoro no Michi, Inari Kuko’s Dream: the oneiric narrative of the artist of the same name, a fictional character and the protagonist of the work. This website also features images from the project’s first exhibition, held at the Embassy of Spain in Tokyo in September 2024.
The film Kotodama, The Way of the Mirror is set for international release in September 2026.
Inari journeys along the Camino de Santiago and the Shikoku Henro, immersing herself in a search for meaning, origin, and the spirit of the word, using shodō, drawing, photography, and video as vehicles of knowledge. The project offers a reflection on the meditation of walking and on the process of refinement through the bunbō shihō, the four treasures of calligraphy: fude, sumi, suzuri, and washi. Throughout her journey, the protagonist encounters pilgrims, monks, artisans, and calligraphers, who give voice to a universal story about the inner quest and the transformative power of the word.
The artist functions as an alter ego of the project’s creators, Carla Cañellas and Eugenio Tardón, who bring together in this work their respective professional disciplines: art and cinematography. In this way, Kokoro no Michi unfolds as a bond between worlds, uniting tradition and creation in an intimate and universal dialogue.
In this convergence of cultures and ways of seeing, each brushstroke and each image invites us to reflect on the connection between the ephemeral and the eternal, with the depth of those who walk inward.
The film component of the project will premiere at festivals in late summer 2026, while the exhibition journey will continue as well.
