Westerners may be unaccustomed to regarding the idea of writing as an art form. This is compounded for those unfamiliar with the language, as the characters are indecipherable and the text illegible. But they do respond to the movement of the brush, and to the expressive qualities of each stroke. As allowing the eyes to follow the path of the brush, one engage the impulses and decisions of the calligrapher.

The most abstract and sublime form of art in Chinese culture, “Shu Fa” (which means calligraphy) is often thought to be most revealing of one’s personality. Calligraphy, the art of writing, has been central to Chinese culture for several millennia. It is an art form as venerated as painting and, like painting, is executed with brush and ink on paper.

During the imperial era, calligraphy was used as an important criterion for selection of executives to the Imperial court. Unlike other visual art techniques, all calligraphy strokes are permanent and incorrigible, demanding careful planning and confident execution. Such are the skills required for an administrator / executive.

By controlling the concentration of ink, the thickness and adsorptivity of the paper, and the flexibility of the brush, the artist is free to produce an infinite variety of styles and forms. To the artist, calligraphy is a mental exercise that coordinates the mind and the body to choose the best styling in expressing the content of the passage. It is a most relaxing yet highly disciplined exercise indeed for one’s physical and spiritual well-being. Historically, many calligraphy artists were well known for their longevity.

In contrast to western calligraphy, diffusing ink blots and dry brush strokes are viewed as a natural impromptu expression rather than a fault. While western calligraphy often pursue font-like uniformity, homogeneity of characters in one size is only a craft.

Brush calligraphy is not only loved and practiced by Chinese. Koreans and Japanese equally adore calligraphy as an important treasure of their heritage. Many Japanese schools still have the tradition of having a student contest of writing big characters during beginning of a new school year.

Not too long ago, Korean government officials were required to excel in calligraphy. The office of Okinawa governor still displays a large screen of Chinese calligraphy as a dominating decor.

Picasso said that if he were to start art with the knowledge of Chinese calligraphy, he would have been a calligraphy artist rather than a painter.

Recently, many of the elements of calligraphy are becoming adapted by modern Western art. In computer advertisements, one frequently finds the use of calligraphy-type, free-form lettering in lieu of the mundane Time Roman and Arial fonts. 

Tag: Chinese calligraphy