Flat in Chinese / Japanese...

平 is a single character that means balance in Chinese but it's not too direct or too specific about what kind of balance.

Chinese people often like calligraphy art that is a little vague or mysterious. In this way, you can decide what it means to you, and you'll be right.

平 is also part of a word that means peace in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

Some alternate translations of this single character include: balanced, peaceful, calm, equal, even, level, smooth, or flat.

Note that in Japanese, this just means “level” or “flat” by itself (not the best choice for balance if your audience is Japanese).

This is a Chinese surname that romanizes as Zhang, but in Taiwan or old romanization can be Cheung.

This can also be the Japanese surnames Harisaki, Hari, Hara, Tsuan, Chou, Cho, Chiyan, Chiyau, Chan, Chian, Sun, Jin, Jiyon, Jiyan, Zan, San, or Kin.

The meaning of this character can be: to open up; to spread; sheet of paper; classifier for flat objects; sheet; classifier for votes.

星 is how “star” is written in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

Thousands of years ago, when this character was first developed, there was the belief that you could see remnants of stars in everything. In fact, some early Chinese men of science suggested that all living things came from “stardust” or cosmic debris. This could explain why the upper portion of this character means “sun” (a star itself) and the lower portion means “birth” or “life.”

Oddly enough, modern-day scientists suggest that we are all made up of cosmic dust. Seems they were getting it right in China at a time when the western world thought the Earth was flat and the Church was claiming that the sun and all cosmic bodies revolved around the Earth.