Chinese Culture Exchange UK

This page is dedicated to Calligraphy artists and their work.

Calligraphy and Brush Painting are always closely connected. Both use the same black ink, which can be mixed with colours for painting or simply watered down to give a monochrome effect. Solid ink is made in stick or tablet form, from soot of coniferous resin to which glue and perfume is added. Traditionally it was perfumed with musk, but now it is more likely to be cloves. The ink stick is rubbed with a little water on an ink stone to form a liquid ink. This process gives the artist time to prepare mentaly for their composition as the act of mixing the ink has a relaxing, soothing effect.  

Above is famous Calligrapher Sun Xiao Yun  with Liu Yong. She invited us to her Nanjing home for a demonstration of her work. Miss Sun is one of China's finest Calligraphers. We were very impressed by her skill and her kindness in taking time to show us how it is done. 

Unique to Chinese Culture, Chinese Calligraphy is difficult for westerners to appriciate. It works on different levels. Firstly you can appreciate the text for what it says - it may be a poem or proverb. However the art of the calligraphy is not what is written, but how. The brush strokes change from thick to thin, showing yin and yang in the movement of the brush. A character consisting of several strokes can be painted without taking the brush from the paper. Completing the character without running out of ink is also neccessary, so that the strokes become lighter or finer towards the end , changing them from dark strong yang strokes into lighter finer yin ones.

There are different types of scripts that the artist can use, almost like the different fonts on your computer. One thing is for sure, it takes many years of practice to develop this skill.

British students following their calligraphy lesson with Wang Bo (centre) in Lianyungang

See more pictures in the Photo Gallery