Porn star Sora Aoi's calligraphy sparks art debate in China

"purists dismissing the work as "unskilled"

Who cares what the purists think?

Well the important thing is that she tried

Skilled or unskilled, people will buy it. As for, “‘Teacher Aoi’ excels in both performing skills and moral integrity..." I'm not 100% sold on the latter, though I give her some points for finally getting out of porn and trying to go mainstream. More often than not it's the other way around.

I am not sure if the person who bought the work checked with the experts or cared about their opinions when he laid down the cash.

The good thing is that when he hands the work onto his kids, he can explain to them who the artist is and why he spent so much money on unskilled calligraphy.

I'm not sure why they were expecting a porn star to be skilled in calligraphy in the first place.

Whether she's skilled at calligraphy or not is irrelevant, she's got a cracking pair of knockers.

Forgive my immature adolescent mind, but porn and calligraphy, I thought she would be more creative.

“Her calligraphy has nothing to do with art and the people buying and selling it don’t care about whether or not what she writes is art,” ..."

Some would say the same thing about Chinese contemporary art which has been auctioned for much larger sums. Art has always been in the eye of the beholder. There is no difference between her "art" and something else that sells for $95,000 or a million for that matter.

I appreciate the clarification on the photo that the "porn star" is on the left.

It's pretty bad writing

"excels in performing skills" -- wonderful comment.

photo is very funny, the background colors and overall color separation is like some 70s communist propaganda image (or current N Korea pic), including how sora's makeup, lipstick seem to bleed into the pic. It doesn't even look like her, really, but a "communist girl" there to inspire the masses.

Which I guess she does...

the dude in Adidas training wear is classy

smithinjapanMAY. 26, 2013 - 08:28AM JST though I give her some points for finally getting out of porn and trying to go mainstream. More often than not it's the other way around.

"appearing in one 2010 movie as a zombie-killing stripper,"

Well yes! That's a big improvement! I'm almost on the verge of claiming that any porn movie has more originality to it than all zombie movies made the last decade put together.

Whatever. Good calligraphry or not, she is laughing all the way to the bank. Also, she has gone main stream. Maybe Japan is the only place that can happen. In the west, in Christianity, sex is written into moral discourse. Japan has never been Christianized, so here there is no idea of "moral sex" and "immoral sex". Some sex is hentai (変態), but that doesn't mean you wouldn't want to try it. Sex is just something fun.

As long as her skills in the studio bedroom are kosher, that is all that matters.

A porn star promoting a theme park? I really hope this doesn't catch on over here... I could not imagine Jenna Jameson being the new face of Disneyland, or "Ron Jeremy Day" at Six Flags.

“The style of calligraphy is childish, unskilled,” said the newspaper, which is backed by Shanghai’s Communist Party branch.

Let's see them try to bear her with a brush in the money-maker.

14,000,000 Chinese followers??? Maybe Japan's porn stars have more chance of improving relationships between the two countries than its politicians.

billyshears has a great idea. Well, the US uses ARod. Why not Sora? If she can do calligraphy and get into contorted positions, she is suited to be a diplomat.

Now we learn the meaning of (m)oral integrity.

Art critics are a bunch of plonkers anyway - none of them have an artistic bone to save themselves, and probably couldn't draw a conclusion let alone a straight line. Love to see one of them write with a large brush and produce something that looks aesthetically pleasing.

'zombie-killing stripper'

LOL! Classic! I've got to see that one!

Is it the best work? Maybe not. At least she is trying to do something more with her life then just laying on her back. She is, in reality, a very nice girl (who speaks okat English, btw). I hope she can become successful in the mainstream.

she's got a cracking pair of knockers. Yes. By far the best boob job in JAV.

That honestly has to be one of the worst pictures of her.

Maybe Japan's porn stars have more chance of improving relationships between the two countries

Amen. Make love, not war!

...another example that East Asian relations are at an all-time high...all of us under 60 could care less about throwing rocks at storefronts--funnily enough, forced sex and comfort women have been reincarnated in the form of Japanese AV Stars reigniting (any) interest in scripture and penmanship. A true missionary...see where I went there*?...

Sora Aoi...moral integrity...wow two things I would not have seen together in a sentence.

"Ron Jeremy Day" at Six Flags.

That would be Nine flags then.

lol wow she doesn't need to be pro in Calligraphy. how sad china. lol!

Everyone is assuming that she held the brush in her hand to create the calligraphy. These porn stars are very skilled, you know...

At least the characters are clear. Much "calligraphy" you see is an illegible scrawl.

She was very amusing (and looked fine) in Big Tits Zombie. Her calligraphy looks pretty professional to me. Good for her in promoting Japanese/Chinese friendship.

Nice suit, dude.

Zombie killer stripper... OK, I know what I am downloading tonight!

Once again, I find myself in the wrong business. If I had known there was such a future in "after-porn calligraphy" I never would have gone to college. Obviously my guidance counselors were quacks.

Message: you want your baby to be famous, get her into porn, and even her drool will top of the charts. Way to go...

I don't know much about art, but I know what I like...

Haters gonna hate. If I was Sora, I would be laughing all the way to the bank.

Good for Aoi. Yes. She is very hot. Her movie is called Big Tits Zombie. It is quite funny. It also stars Risa Kasumi, who I think is the hottest woman in Japan.

because it's not about the art, it's about the artist.