Aiko Hatanaka

Aiko Hatanaka (a.k.a. Sumifutten) is a Tokyo-based Japanese calligrapher whose practice merges traditional calligraphy with contemporary design. She began studying calligraphy at the age of five and gradually developed a focus on integrating calligraphy with typography and visual design. Alongside her work as a stylist and advertising designer, she deepened her calligraphic practice, eventually establishing herself as an independent calligraphy artist and designer.

She works under the name “Sumifutten,” meaning “the boiling point of sumi ink,” reflecting her pursuit of passionate, expressive design. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and interdisciplinary projects, including the stage backdrop for the theatre production Summer of the Kishi Family (2011) and the installation Words around ‘FLY’ at Royal Park Hotel The Haneda, located within Haneda International Airport (2014).