Page 75 - 第29屆大墩美展專輯電子書

Calligraphy
書法類

HSIAO Shih-Chiung

This year, I participated in the judging of calligraphy works for the National Fine Arts Exhibition, the Taoyuan Fine Arts Exhibition,
and the Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition. I was struck by how the works of the emerging talents from previous years have matured and
are now gradually coming into prominence. Many of these promising artists have progressed from being short list to winning Award
of Merit, or even top prizes. It can truly be said that “the back waves of the Yangtze River push the front waves, a generation of new
people replace the old.” What impressed me the most was the clear awareness of pusuing change among the participants, which is
welcomed and should be encouraged.
In his 1956 book “Aesthetics and Education of Calligraphy,” Japanese aesthetic scholar Ijima Tsutomu wrote: “Calligraphy is a form
of plastic art, an independent art that uses the writing of characters as its stage.” He further noted: “Literature is an art centered on
verbal expression, while calligraphy is a visual art focused on the relationship between text and its visual form.” Professor LIN Ching-
Chung also said: “Within the constraints of the norms for stroke order and structure in written characters, there is considerable
potential for variation in the artistic expression of calligraphy. This means that as long as the characters are legible, other aspects
such as form, brush technique, and refinement can be creatively explored and transcended.” Both scholars emphasized that
calligraphy is a form of plastic art, and creative breakthroughs should be achieved. Fortunately, most of the prize-winning works
at this year’s Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition have shown such creative awareness, each demonstrating innovative creativity through
various scripts and not being restricted by traditions. This shows that today’s calligraphers have broke through old conventions and
restirctions, and diverse styles are thriving and blossoming. How exciting!
This year’s Calligraphy category received 126 entries, with three from overseas, including one from China/Hong Kong, one from
Japan, and one from Canada. After the preliminary review on April 25, 14 entries were selected. The final review was held on June 25,
but the original of one domestic entry was not received, resulting in automatic elimination. Thus, the final review selected winners
of the top three prizes, three Award of Merit winners, and seven Short Lists.
Mr. FANG Li-Chuan won the First Prize. His has been a frequent contestant at various competitions and art exhibitions. He has
been relentless despite defeats, and finally won top prize, impressing all jurors with his robust vitality. This work is “New Thunder,” a
poem by Qing poet ZHANG Wei-Ping. Based on Han clerical script, he incorporates the composition of traditional running-cursive
script to present a grand magnificence, forming a powerful personal style that leaves a profound impression. Second Prize went
to Mr. CHANG Pei-Yuan. His style was a bit rigid early on, and after years of refinement and polishing, the rigid lines have become
soft and tender, as his style has elevated to strike a balance between rigidity and tenderness. This work features DU Fu’s poem
“Joyous Rain in Spring Evening,” and a transitional style between clerical and standard scripts, to present a refreshing style. He also
incorporated opposing binary concepts of dry and wet brushstrokes, dense and loose layouts, and slanted and square forms, to give
the work a “seemingly ordinary yet spectacular” quality. Third Prize-winner CHI Kuan-Ti is both a calligrapher and a painter, with a
special passion for innovation of calligraphy. This work features “Spring Night Banquet at Dongshan Villa,” a poem by local poet FU
Xi-Qi, written in running script that fuses the styles of CHU Chih-Shan, WANG Jue-Si, and Huaisu; through a pictorial approach, the
artist intentionally or unintentionally broke the relations among certain lines, expressing the scene in Beethoven’s “The Pastoral
Symphony” through polarized combinations of points and lines.
The three Award of Merit winners each have their own distinctive features, though they were only a step away from the top three
prizes. Mr. LEE Po-Han’s calligraphy displayed the flowing cursive style of late Ming dynasty master FU Shan, with clear variations in
brushstroke rhythm. Mr. HUANG Chun-Chia’s composition was unique, characterized by spontaneity and authenticity, expressing
the enjoyment at the moment of writing. Mr. CHENG Li-Hsun used a long goat-hair brush to write clerical script, with lines that were
neither harsh nor forceful, and incorporated elements of ancient bamboo slip texts, which added an intriguing quality. Although
other Selected Works also exhibit notable qualities, I will not be discussing their works in more detail with limited space here.
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