2024-07-21 16:04:38
Yu Danqing, a renowned Chinese painter and calligrapher, shares with MAP her perspective on the history of Chinese calligraphy and how she was introduced to this art from a young age.
Chinese calligraphy has its roots in pictographic signs used in the past to record aspects of daily life. “People wanted to record what they saw and experienced,” she said on the sidelines of a cultural activity as part of the media exchange program of the China International Press and Communication Center (CIPCC).
Over time, it became a means of communication, she notes, adding that Chinese calligraphy was also once used to mark a place as a family’s territory.
Chinese writing has since evolved from simple pictograms to more abstract but meaningful characters. “Chinese characters have been simplified from the original pictograms into simpler and more abstract forms, but with deeper meanings,” says the artist, who held his first exhibition in Beijing in 1992 at the age of 21.
The evolution of Chinese calligraphy is also due to the way it is taught and passed down within Chinese families, notes Ms. Danqing, who says she began painting and practicing calligraphy at the age of seven.
“During family gatherings, my parents and grandparents would prepare brushes and paper, then simply let us draw, then they would introduce us to simple drawings, like painting a panda or other animals,” adds this painter who has inherited this family tradition passed down for many generations.
For Yu Danqing, Chinese calligraphy is more than just a visual art. It is a practice that connects individuals to their history and culture, while fostering creativity and self-expression.
“Behind every character there is a language and a story,” she says, adding that calligraphy is a window on our past, but also on our future.”
2024-07-21 16:04:38