Chen Hsih-shien believes the art has to change to survive.
Chen Hsih-shien thinks calligraphy is more than tedious copying or classical characters encased in glass. He wants to change the way people think of this highly stylized art, and his approach is breaking down barriers and attracting a younger audience.
"We are now living a life totally different from that of our predecessors. If we don't find a new path for Chinese calligraphy, it'll eventually be forgotten because it will no longer have any meaning for us," he says. "Art isn't just about aesthetics; it's a part of our lives."
After finishing his two-year compulsory military service at 27, Chen went back to his small hometown, Baihe, in southern Taiwan's Tainan County. Majoring in Chinese literature at university, he showed a keen interest in calligraphy and spent considerable time practicing basic strokes and different traditional styles, such as running and cursive scripts, as well as studying the work of past masters.
Through these endeavors Chen acquired brush skills, learned the rudiments of Chinese handwriting and cultivated a knowledge of the different schools. Nevertheless, he found that classical pieces, which mostly exhibited the penmanship of traditional Chinese poets, despite their astounding beauty, were too far removed from modern audiences.
With this in mind, Chen aims to use written Chinese characters to depict what he sees and feels. In his opinion, calligraphy should reflect more than just tradition; it should also portray modern daily life.
Chen thinks that there is a lot of room for innovation in Chinese calligraphy, and that it was created to be admired by all, not just the upper echelon of society. He has three goals: to give it a new face; to develop a distinct style of his own; and to make it more accessible to people from different walks of life.
Chen transformed a pigsty his father had left idle for years into a studio and living room. Knowing that calligraphy is an art that takes years of painstaking practice to master, he gave himself 20 years to see if he could make something of his ideas.
Upon waking every day, he took long walks barefoot in the forest where he observed nature's changes and examined those taking place in himself. He watched as many local and foreign movies as possible in an attempt to know how other people behaved and lived their lives. He hoped someday to share his own rural life through his work.
Chen lived a simple, quiet life sustained by tutoring calligraphy for seven years until he was introduced to Su Wen-chih, an art lover and restaurant owner. Su liked Chen's work so much that he bought up everything he had for a total of nearly NT$2 million (US$63,500).
"The more I look at his work, the more interesting it is," Su says of Chen's calligraphy. "There are many layers of meaning in them. I may not catch everything at first glance, but I like a challenge so I study them over and over again when I have time and figure them out by myself."
Su says he is a businessman who does not know much about art. Nonetheless, Chen's work appeals to him. "His written forms change frequently, and I believe that every piece has a story behind it," he says. "It's really inspiring stuff to look at."
Su displays Chen's work at his restaurant to enhance the overall feel of the dining environment. He is glad to provide the artist with the space to develop and showcase his talents and funds as encouragement for his hard work.
Su has been a positive force in Chen's life and thanks to his interest, Chen has been able to improve his living and working conditions. More importantly, he has been able to do more, such as exhibiting, publishing books and traveling.
These projects have not only improved Chen's public image, but have boosted his confidence and determination to pursue his art. When speaking of his ideals, Chen reiterates the importance of making a connection with nature and life. "The greatest possibilities of art derive from nature and the feelings and thoughts that touch people's hearts in their daily lives," he says. "For calligraphers, the brush is an extension of their fingers; the rhythm and strength of their writing is controlled by their mood, and their work is an expression of their sensibility." For Chen, a sunset, clouds or a bird's flight are all tremendously moving and can be captured in line.
Chen lives in Baihe, a town famous for cultivating lotus, where he is surrounded by farmers. Indeed, his day-to-day relationship with the townspeople has greatly influenced his work. When writing the Chinese character for lotus, Chen uses long, thick lines to depict the male host of the lotus farming family who is strong and tall. He draws the same character in thin, curving, red strokes to symbolize the hostess, who is slender and passionate.
Baihe's agriculture inspires Chen. He wants to contribute to the town's development by highlighting its characteristics in his work. Under the sponsorship of the Council for Cultural Affairs, Chen runs an open-air museum, which sits on a country road flanked by rows of trees and surrounded by lotus fields. He regularly invites artists to exhibit their work there and helps organize art and cultural events during the town's annual lotus festival.
Lo Sen-hao, director of the Arts and Arts Education Department at National Taipei Teachers College, admires the way Chen lives and works.
"After its transformation from an agriculture- to industry-based economy, Taiwan became a place where haste was of great importance," Lo says. "It's wonderful that Chen understands life doesn't have to be rushed; he likes to walk around and think about things before he sets to work."
"Chen looks for stories in everyday life. His affection and concern for his hometown and the people around him enliven his work," Lo says. "You can really sense the rural life and the wonder of nature." He thinks Chen's calligraphy is highly stylistic because it avoids strict interpretation and often looks more like painting.
Hung Wen-chen, dean of academic affairs at National Taitung University, praises Chen for his creativity and willingness to break the rules. Chen does not necessarily write characters in order from top to bottom or left to right and his texts are largely associated with Taiwan and its people. "Most people feel calligraphy isn't related to the current times, that it's an outdated craft," Hung says. "But Chen's work incorporates modern images, and this is invigorating this traditional art form."
"A good calligrapher is not only able to express his thoughts through the brush; he is expected to enliven the chosen text," he says. "Chen's calligraphy breathes life and motion into the written characters."
Striving to include everyday objects in his work so that ordinary people can relate to it, Chen cooperates with the restaurant owner and the rice farmer to tailor-make pieces for designated settings and products.
"What makes his work unique," Hung says, "is that in addition to his skilled combination of various traditional scripts, Chen draws on other arts."
Chen has turned calligraphy into a performing art by composing on stage in front of a live audience. With animated gestures, he holds the audience in rapt attention. Indeed, his performances are calculated to break down the traditional notion that calligraphy is the art of isolated, almost hermit-like, scholars.
Hung once invited Chen to teach at his school. His eloquence and exaggerated body language made him popular with the students. When teaching, Chen starts by taking his students for a walk or a swim in the river, rather than asking them to sit still at desks to copy classical models. "I want them to first find the joy of life and have some ideas before they take up the brush. Mere copying without thinking leads nowhere," he says. "I believe that they need strong feelings to develop writing skills, and they must learn to write in a way that reveals their own character and style."
So far, Chen has held 17 exhibitions and published three books. In the months ahead, he plans to write down all Taiwanese place names in characters that render the qualities of the areas they name.
Chen says every piece of his work has a story behind it. He believes that although calligraphy uses Chinese characters as its vehicle of expression, one does not have to know Chinese to appreciate its beauty, because in essence, it is an abstract art.
"When viewing Chinese calligraphy, you don't need to ask or worry about the meaning of the word," he says. "It's best to simply look at it for enjoyment."