Echoes of the Tide: BU Zi, LEE Mau-cheng, YU Tung-Sheng and Hiroshi WADA

Curated by Ruby LIAO

Since the 20th century, with exhibitions emerging as the primary venues for displaying artworks, calligraphers have increasingly emphasized spatial awareness in their creations. The exhibition Echoes of the Tide centers on this concept, highlighting both the expansive nature of space and the breadth of perspectives it encompasses. It delves into how artists employ calligraphy to interact with the imposing white walls and the diverse viewpoints stemming from various cultural origins. Featuring four artists—BU Zi, LEE Mau-cheng, Hiroshi WADA, and YU Tung-Sheng—the exhibition sees them introduce innovative approaches to traditional calligraphy through variations in size, script, style, content, character count, colors, and materials, revealing the multifarious faces of contemporary calligraphy art.

Microcosm: From Scholar's Study to Artist's Studio

卜玆 BU ZI

Born in 1959 in Xixin Village, Annan District, Tainan, Taiwan, BU Zi passed away in 2013. His calligraphy was as swift as a racing car on a sharp curve or a fighter jet slicing through the sky. He fused the calligraphic styles of the Tang Dynasty, the cursive script of the Late Ming, and the seal script of the Qing Dynasty to forge his own unique and vigorous wild cursive style. In the 1980s, BU Zi garnered numerous awards and decided to pursue a career as a professional calligrapher. He moved his creative space several times, from an air force dependent's housing unit to a traditional courtyard house, and then to a lofted industrial area, with each environment leaving its mark on his works. 

卜兹《花非花》，2010-2011

釋文：「花非花，霧非霧，夜半來，天明去，來如春夢幾多時，去是朝雲無覓處。」

出處：唐‧白居易〈花非花〉

卜玆《黑雲翻墨》，2008

釋文：「黑雲飜墨未遮山，白雨跳珠亂入船。卷地風起忽吹散，望湖樓下水如天。」

出處：宋‧蘇軾〈六月二十七日望湖樓醉書（其一）〉

卜兹《悠悠盡日閑》，2010-2011

釋文：「伊川新雨霽，原上見春山。緱嶺晴虹斷，龍門宿鳥還。牛羊平野外，桑柘夕煙間。不及鄉園叟，悠悠盡日閑。」

出處：唐・李德裕〈憶平泉雜詠・憶晚眺〉

卜兹《風》，2011-2012

釋文：「蓬蓬颯颯，正初噫大塊，乍起青蘋。早被蛇憐北海，鵬借南溟。推雲送雨、捲長空一霎澄清 。將止處，留將細嫋，催開翠葆紅英。 太平久歇條鳴，豈盡關、風姨力量，少女神靈。要識調和有道，感召無形。阜財解慍，韻五絃、共繞虞廷。散取微涼殿閣，普天何處炎蒸。」

出處：明‧徐渭〈風〉

This exhibition showcases seven of his pieces, including The Diamond Prajna Paramita Sutra from 2000, written in small regular script with each character occupying less than 0.2 square centimeters. The meticulous size reflects the attentive and diligent mindset that guided its creation. One of his later pieces, Wind, draws inspiration from the poetry of Ming artist and poet Xu Wei (1521-1593). It is executed in large, bold, and vigorous cursive script, with the brush being re-inked every two to three characters to create a rhythmic transition from rich, saturated strokes to lighter, wet ones. This captures the essence of strong wind gusts, evoking the imagery of an escalating storm and swirling clouds. Su Shi (1037-1101) once said, "Large characters are challenging to make tight without appearing crowded, while small characters are difficult to make spacious without appearing empty." With composed confidence, BU Zi's response to this classic challenge is evident in his work: his large characters are as densely woven as brocade, and his small characters are as airy as drifting clouds. 

Epochs: From Tang Poetry to Song Dynasty Masterpieces

李茂成 LEE MAU-CHENG

Born in 1954 in Yunlin, Taiwan, LEE Mau-cheng was influenced by the Qing Dynasty’s practice of inscriptions on steles. He incorporated the powerful vigor of the clerical script and Wei stele style into his cursive script works, focusing his artistic exploration on the theme of life. A Star Shines Broadly Across the Land comes from a verse by famed poet Du Fu (712-770). The piece is crafted with flowing brushstrokes, unassuming and modest. The characters at times appear flattened, with striking contrasts between light and dark saturation. The transition from wet to dry and from fast to slow is cyclical, reminiscent of writing in beach sand—where initial strokes are absorbed by incoming waves, then fade with the tide, only to be renewed with the next wave.

李茂成《星垂平野闊》，約2011-2014

釋文：「星垂平野闊，月湧大江流。」

出處：唐‧杜甫〈旅夜書懷〉

Travelers Among Mountains and Streams is inspired by the eponymous famous painting, now housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, by Northern Song Dynasty artist Fan Kuan (c. 950-1032). Lee imitated this masterpiece in his early years, which subtly influenced his artistic style. Spurred by a whim, he penned the four characters xi shan xing lu, where the characters xi (stream) and lu (journey) are extended and fluid, mimicking waterfalls and woodland trails, leading the observer into a mental landscape that stirs the imagination, offering a path that is both traversable and enveloping. 

Dimensions: Summoning Life through Stroke Quality

和田浩志 HIROSHI WADA

Hiroshi WADA was born in 1967 in Fukuoka, Japan, raised in Kyoto, and started his calligraphy training at just age 5. Having been selected multiple times for the Nitten Exhibition between 2011 and 2014, and since departing from his calligraphy group in 2017, WADA has been determined to present works that transcend the boundaries of traditional calligraphy to the world. Influenced by Japanese calligraphy pioneer Inoue Yûichi (1916-1985), he has been dedicating himself to creating few-character calligraphy in recent years. Diverging from the avant-garde calligraphers of the abstract ink school, WADA retains the legibility of his characters, aiming to evoke emotion through his powerful strokes.

I wrote the word "way".

In Chinese philosophy, “way” is the place through which people and things should pass, and the word broadly refers to the universal laws of the universe and nature, the fundamental reality, the moral code, and the root of beauty and truth.

This work expresses the wish to support those who strive toward their dreams with a dedicated heart while respecting the rules of society and the reasonableness of things.-Hiroshi WADA

I wrote the word "encounter".

Compared to simply “meet,” “encounter” is a mysterious coincidence that suddenly appears before one's eyes. It is a word that indicates the continuous flow of time with a sacred radiance that includes the time and feelings required for the encounter.

We should cherish such encounters. - Hiroshi WADA

 

This exhibition showcases 12 single-character works, predominantly inspired by the natural world, reflecting WADA's life philosophy and his deep contemplations and aspirations rooted in classic Japanese culture. DREAM_16 is particularly special; he deliberately crumpled the paper and then flattened it after completion, letting the original lines and unforeseen ink marks miraculously merge, transforming it into an artwork of perfection. This creative approach, straddling the intentional and spontaneous, and merging elements of hardness and softness, broadens the scope for engagement with Western abstract art. 

Facets: The Transformation of English Letters into Chinese

於同生 YU TUNG-SHENG

Born in 1975 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, YU Tung-Sheng draws inspiration from the dynamic style of Wei stele inscriptions. In recent years, he has consistently won first prizes in major calligraphy competitions across Taiwan. Recognizing that the trend of Japanese calligraphy visualization has persisted for over a century and remains influential in contemporary Taiwanese calligraphy, YU aspires to disrupt the direct link between meaning and imagery. He does it by substituting the textual medium with English while preserving the brushwork and line quality characteristic of Chinese calligraphy. This exhibition showcases five pieces by YU, including GLOW, which is displayed both as original ink on paper and as Giclée prints on paper. It not only offers a visual impact with its vivid colors but also embraces the modern approach to printmaking, engaging with the traditional practice of reproducing masterpieces of calligraphy. The new Ink Dance series signals a shift from his earlier works adopting an English-to-Chinese translation mindset, but embracing conceptual naming. In his creations, the ink lines twist and turn, with the characters appearing almost as if they are piercing through the paper. This vividly highlights his intent to transcend textual constraints, focusing instead on the dynamic interaction between lines and space. 

From 2011 to 2013, while BU Zi dedicated himself to creating large cursive script calligraphy, LEE Mau-cheng was madly devoted to his calligraphic endeavors. In 2017, as Hiroshi WADA shifted his focus to the international scene, YU Tung-Sheng pivoted towards English calligraphy. But above all, all four artists are grounded in deep-rooted traditions, striving to innovate and elevate the art of calligraphy.

Echoes of the Tide 

• Curator: Ruby LIAO
• Artists: BU Zi, LEE Mau-cheng, YU Tung-Sheng and Hiroshi WADA
• Opening: September 28, 2024 (Sat)
• Date: September 28 – November 2, 2024
• Address: ESLITE GALLERY∣B1, No. 88, Yanchang Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City 110055, Taiwan (eslite spectrum Songyan Store)
• Opening Hours: 11am-7pm, Tuesday – Saturday (closed on Sunday and Monday)