Appreciating Chinese Calligraphy

By Leong Tuck Yee

Leong Tuck Yee tells us that one does not neccessarily need to read or write Chinese before one can start to appreciate the beauty of this ancient art form.

Chinese calligraphy, literally meaning “beautiful writing with a Chinese brush”, has been in existence for more than four thousand years. It is a widely acknowledged art form still widely practised throughout the world till this day. With a brilliant tradition as ancient as the Chinese culture, calligraphy is not just a method of writing Chinese characters but also a proper branch of learning and a highly-refined art of interpretation,. The form is equally important as the content. As an art, it is capable of expressing the artist’s sentiments, visions, emotions, culture and moral principles. In fact, calligraphy had even been more highly regarded than painting and sculpture.

Using the same basic tools required for Chinese painting, learning the rudiments of calligraphy is easy. To master it, however, takes years (sometimes a lifetime) of practising each word, stroke by stroke, line by line. The Chinese language has a different set of writing styles and scripts. They are not symbols or alphabets but are made up of strokes and radicals. They started as pictographs, later developing to around 50,000 characters, with many modern ones still retaining the original pictographs.

Basically there are five major styles in Chinese calligraphy - Zuan (Seal Style), Li (Official Style), Tsao (Cursive Style), Hsin (Walking or Semi Cursive Style), and Kai (Standard Style). A master calligrapher would intimately know all the characters, styles, tools and their effects. While executing his works with beauty and ease, he expresses his personality and emotions in a personal unique style besides being able to write the characters in different sizes... an amazing feat in itself, indicative of his learning and training, admirable and worthy of respect.

Do we see any flying dragons in Huai Su's calligraphy work? Or was it due to addiction of alcohol? Whatever it was, one cannot but admire the intense sureness with which he "wielded" his brush, clearly bespeaking his long arduous practice.		Liew Ching Nun's "Good Fortune" is free, bold and wonderfully expressive. It was energetically executed with a well-loaded brush, all done within a few brief seconds. It is no wonder why many Chinese love to hang this on their walls to invite good fortune and have it "splattered" all over their homes.

Zhang Chih (?-193), who won the title “King of Tsao Style,” lived and practised calligraphy by a pond. Over time the pond turned black in colour because he washed his brushes and ink plate there. Another calligrapher, Huai Su (725-785) was a monk. He was very fond of wine. He would write beautifully and quickly whilst he was drunk and inspired. His calligraphy was like a running snake or a flying dragon besides resembling strong winds, violent storms and thunders. His Cursive Style was at par with Zhang Shui’s. He called his writing “The calligraphy of an intoxicated immortal.” Being very poor and lacking money to buy paper. Hence, he planted many banana trees in his backyard and used the leaves for practice. It is said that he practiced so hard that he had tombs of bad brushes and that most of his banana leaves were black with ink. (from www.art-virtue.com)

Quite an impressive devotion indeed, but, how do we, particularly foreigners and English-educated Chinese, begin to appreciate calligraphy? Honestly, some works seem to be nothing more than messes of illegible scrawls on yellowish paper.

Here, various sources offer hope. Viewers can at the very least enjoy the look of the written words without worrying about the content, meaning, theory or techniques. In essence, calligraphy is an abstract art not very different from an abstract Western art. From another angle, it is also akin to looking at the handwritten manuscripts of the great master of literature of the western world. It is no exaggerations to say that one could feel the creative juice of the writers from the way they wrote.

For millenniums, people have at least enjoyed the artist’s ability to write proportional characters in particular sizes and style, a feat of a difficulty only those who have tried hard at it can feel and appreciate. They have decorated their walls, pillars and doors with calligraphy to announce their ownership, to bring good luck or to remind themselves of morals and virtues. Even the multi-billion dollar telecommunications, Lucent Technologies Inc, had used as its logo a red circle done with a Chinese brush, denoting the 0-bit of machine language.

Tsui Yuan (77-142) Cursive Style. The charm, masculinity and vigour is impressive as the "Hun Chi" or energy flow from one character to another is clearly evident from start to end, smooth and uninterrupted.		Mi Fei (1051-1107) "Crane and Tortoise" "The tortoise and the crane both enjoy long lives; Only shell and feathers distinguish them. Each in his own way a spirited being, As friends they do not know their differences. The crane loves to fly in high places; The tortoise is weary of dragging its tail. Holding between them a bamboo pole in their mouths, They soar into the cloudy heavens. I tell you, be careful, do not speak: One word and I'll fall into a muddy ditch!"

People have also marvelled at the artist’s strict discipline in producing formal characters (Seal and Clerical Styles) word after word, producing a neat and beautiful page and his ability to express numerous expressions such as mysteriousness, carefulness, carefreeness, balance, maturity, virility, grace, soberness, richness, exuberance and classicalness. In addition, it is a must to watch calligraphers at work. Watching the speed and ease with which they wrote is a sheer pleasure to marvel at. Purportedly, some masters are able to write only in drunkenness. (This should sound familiar to some admirers of Western art.)

For beginners, it is a good idea to start appreciating something more basic, instead of being bewildered (and deterred) by the vast number of styles and variations. Even at such a basic level, the personality of the calligrapher comes out. His attitude and mentality towards a chosen theme is “sealed” within the character. Hence, the act of taking up an ink-loaded brush and starting to write can actually be a very solemn ceremony, possibly more serious than putting a formal proposal in black and white.

When we progress to larger pieces, we must understand that the level of mental focus and skills becomes even more demanding. As is the case with Chinese paintings, no corrections or alterations are allowed. Should there be any unsatisfactory strokes or dots, there is no remedy but to start all over again!

The Chinese think that calligraphy should come directly from one’s heart and mind. As such, to allow feelings of appreciation to emerge from our hearts we need to be patient and give ourselves time and abundant chances to look and learn.

[ Courtesy December 2007 Cosmic]