Haiga is a word that points at a unique form of art that emerged in 17th century Japan, about the same time as the emergence of haiku as a distinct poetic form.

Traditional haiga is a synthesis of painting and brush calligraphy. Contemporary haiga is created using a much wider range of materials and techniques.

Haiga might be understood as a dance between a visual form, and a haiku poem. They complement each other rather than explain each other, though many times there is some overlap between the two.

Both haiku and haiga have their roots in the direct perception of everyday surrounding sand events. Deceptively simple, haiga is as much about what is not said or seen as it is about what appears on the page.