Poetic art of calligraphy is a silent reflection of the soul

An exhibition currently showcased at the Suzhou Art Museum is redefining the beauty and ancient art form of Chinese calligraphy.

Organized by the Shanghai Calligraphers’ Association, Shanghai Art Critics’ Association and Suzhou Art Museum, the exhibit features artworks from 70 famous calligraphers.

Calligraphy has been an ancient art form for more 2,000 years in China. It has been long known as the art of writing with a brush or the study of the rules and techniques of art.

In the history of Chinese art, calligraphy has always been held in equal importance to painting. It is not only a means of communication, but also a means of expressing a person’s inner world in an aesthetic sense. Calligraphy, like a mirror, is a silent reflection of the soul.

In China calligraphy has evolved into five main ways of writing, each with different techniques.

“Once the brush movement hesitates, a black mark is created, so speed, strength and agility is the essence of fine artwork,” Zhang Lixing, the curator of the exhibition, said. “When writing, many calligraphers will forget all worries and even themselves, combining all thoughts in the beauty of their art.”

According to Zhang, the contents of the exhibition’s writing involve both Chinese classical poems and famous sayings.

Cao Jun, director of Suzhou Art Museum, said, “Calligraphy is particularly perfect with a poetic atmosphere wafted into the region to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

“It is a lyrical chant toward fine art and literature, evoking a collective memory of these household poems surviving centuries.”

Exhibition info

Date: Through August 18, 10am-5pm

Venue: Suzhou Art Museum

Address: 2075 Renmin Rd, Suzhou