Letter to Tradition and Experiment
The wide variety of scripts in the art of Chinese calligraphy ranging from seal script, clerical script, cursive script, running script to regular script, is made possible not by one single person overnight but by generations of ancient people over an extensive period of time who created these scripts based on their incredible imagination about different abstract concepts. The use of brush pens as the tool to write characters makes the art of writing more lively, vibrant, and fun. What else more can we create for the art of Chinese calligraphy in this era blessed with more open-minded thinking and advanced technology development? Does Chinese calligraphy have to be always so classical? Can we make it more modern and closer to our daily life? The Chinese Calligraphy Biennial this year is experimental, connects with the public, and strikes a balance between tradition and innovation, focusing on both the artists’ solid command of fundamental techniques and their representation of a Chinese calligraphy art different from before.
The calligraphy works in this exhibition are rich and diverse in their contents. Some are inspired by what is happening around us. Some are “down-to-earth”, expressing the hope that those in power will put themselves in the shoes of those in need of help. Some are writings of passages from Buddhist sutras in different forms and scripts to pray for peace of mind. Some celebrate the beauty of Taiwan such as The Most Beautiful View in Taiwan is You. Some express the artists’ care about the strikes in Hong Kong such as The View on the Other Side. Some are experimental representations of childhood memories such as Sand in the Wind. Some are writings of poems written by the artists using Chinese characters of deconstructed forms. Some of the artists used ultra-thick ink while some used ultra-light ink in their works. Some of the artists used up 100 pieces of paper and some used up a huge jar of ink to create their works. Some spent months and some ordered paper of customized large size for their works. Some artists are not only calligraphers but also Chinese ink painters and/or seal-carving artists. Let’s go on a treasure hunt in the Biennial, appreciating the artists’ writings and looking for imprints of the seals they created for their works at the same time.
Dedicated to promoting the art of Chinese calligraphy, the HCS Calligraphy Foundation has been working with KMFA in holding the Chinese Calligraphy Biennial over these years, providing a platform for Chinese calligraphy artists of different generations to present their works and learn from each other. In each of the Biennials, each participating artist contributes two works—one of traditional style and the other of experimental style. This year marks the 11th Chinese Calligraphy Biennial. Among the participating artists this year, ten are veterans who also joined all the previous ten Biennials. The development of their calligraphy art over the past 22 years is recorded and represented in the Biennials.
Based on the theme of “A Letter to Tradition and Experiment”, the 11th Chinese Calligraphy Biennial is also a review of its 22-year history. Totally 47 calligraphy artists in Taiwan are invited to take the challenge and continue contributing to the development of Chinese calligraphy art by creating 94 works representative of their inspiration and perspiration in ink art.
Organizers: Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA); and HSC Calligraphy Foundation