In Paris, the art gallery scene is thriving. Certain neighborhoods and districts are particularly renowned for their dense network of galleries and antique shops. One such area is the 7th arrondissement, home to the famous Carré Rive Gauche, with its cluster of around a hundred art venues located along rue du Bac, quai Voltaire, and rue de l’Université.
Others galleries have also chosen to set up shop in the prestigious 7th arrondissement, including the Shodo Galerie. Dedicated to Japanese art, Shodo Galerie opened its doors on December 18, 2025, at 37 rue de Verneuil, just a short walk from the Maison Gainsbourg.
This space, the first collaboration between Tokyo's Carré Moji Gallery and a venue in France, is dedicated to the Art Shodo movement. Founded by Sylvain Salvarelli, Art Shodo now brings together around twenty artists who directly trace their lineage back to the Bokujinkai movement, which emerged in the 1960s, and more specifically to the masters of calligraphy Yuichi Inoue and Morita Shiryu. However, unlike traditional Japanese calligraphy, Art Shodo offers a notably more contemporary approach.
Forty years after his first journeys to Japan, Sylvain Salvarelli is finally opening his own gallery in Paris, dedicated to exploring Japanese avant-garde and contemporary calligraphy. For its inaugural exhibition, Shodo Gallery has chosen to showcase works by several modern Japanese artists, including Mie Okubo, Kazumi Okamoto, Kei Shimizu, Sachiyo Kaneko, Kaon Chiba, Shosen Hamada, and Gen Miyamura, who is considered one of the rising stars in the contemporary calligraphy scene. To experience their works, head straight to Shodo Gallery in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.
