January 2006

Calligraphy Exhibit Offers Words of Wisdom

By Celeste Ryan
Special to FYI Online

Bertrand Mao

Words of wisdom hang in the hallways of UMUC. These are not the typical words of erudite professors, students, or administrators as they come and go. They are the words of professionally-trained Chinese calligraphists who, in the ancient tradition of their culture, use precise, well-practiced brush strokes to create insightful messages.

Since November, “The Art of Brush and Ink: Calligraphy by Contemporary Chinese Artists,” which includes 43 original paintings, has been on display in UMUC’s Inn and Conference Center.

“Don’t be shocked when you see big changes,” one painting advises passersby.

“If you want to do big things, you have to be mindful of the little things,” instructs another.

“If you are strong, you won’t follow the crowd,” counsels a third. This message, painted by the exhibit’s co-curator Bertrand Mao, is communicated through five symbols, called “characters.” The literal words displayed are: gold, rock, no, follow, wave.

“We share wisdom through our work,” Mao explains. “Rather than family photos or paintings, many Chinese homes feature calligraphy which contains good counsel.”

His other piece sends a similar self-assuring message: pine tree, cypress, know, end of year, cold, which means “Only those who are strong (like evergreen trees) can survive winter (tough times).”

While those who can read Chinese will gain much encouragement from these proverbs, Mao hopes that it will provide all visitors much more, namely an appreciation for this centuries-old art form: “To Chinese people, calligraphy is not just a fancy handwriting like in the Western world. It’s cultural, poetic, musical … a beautiful form of art, like that used in painting.”

“There’s a flow and energy evident in calligraphy,” declares one visitor to the display.

That’s because more than simply writing, calligraphists perform an “ink dance,” says University of Maryland professor Jason Kuo, a supporter of the exhibit.

The practice is so revered in China, Mao says, that students are required to learn calligraphy using contemporary and ancient brush strokes such as seal, running script, clerical (2,000 years old), wild cursive, and regular script. Many go on to study it professionally, so most of the paintings featured in the collection were created by artists who have bachelor’s, master’s, and/or doctoral degrees in calligraphy. Several are professors, one is a university dean, and many teach it by trade, including Kit-Keung Kan, a painter, scientist, and calligrapher from Hong Kong, who now resides in Maryland.

Mao, a retired lawyer and educator, who serves as executive secretary of the area’s Sino-American Cultural Society and teaches calligraphy at UMUC, American University, and Rockville Arts Place, is one of the curators for “The Art of Brush and Ink.” The other is retired University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) calligraphy professor Tsung Chin. Both are quite involved in the Calligraphy Education Group (part of the Chinese Language Teachers Association of America) which hosts bi-annual conventions worldwide to promote calligraphy education. At the Beijing convention several years ago, the pair had the idea to create a collection of professionally-painted calligraphy pieces that could be brought to the United States and displayed at universities, museums, and other locations, like the National Arboretum’s Chinese garden when it is completed.

“This is the first step to helping more and more students and people from the community understand Chinese calligraphy and culture,” says Mao, who says that he is grateful to UMUC’s Marilyn Maupin-Hart for featuring the collection. Hart, assistant vice president for UMUC events and arts programs, is mutually fond of Mao and his exhibit. “[The pieces] are very interesting, and I think people want to learn more about the ancient art, especially art from China,” she notes. “We’ve had a constant flow of people and lots of inquiries.”

For Chin and Mao, the next step is to encourage other universities to establish calligraphy education centers, like the one they are working to develop at UMCP with Kuo.

According to Maupin-Hart, the impetus for “The Art of Brush and Ink” is the great interest generated in the University by the local Chinese-American community following the installation in 2001 of “The Art in China” thanks to the generous contribution of I-Ling Chow and Thomas Li, of Maryland.