Continuity and Resonance: Exhibition of Works by Fourteen Contemporary Calligraphers ( Chaozhou Art Museum）
赓续与回响——当代帖学十四人作品展（潮州站）
PREFACE
The history of Chinese calligraphy may be broadly divided into two periods: the classical and the transformative. The classical era witnessed the progressive refinement of Chinese script forms alongside the rise of two towering peaks—the calligraphic traditions of the Jin and Tang dynasties—marked by the Five Dynasties period as a rough dividing line. During this time, the distinction between stele inscriptions (bei 碑) and model calligraphy sheets (tie 帖) had not yet emerged. According to the Shuowen Jiezi (《说文解字》), “bei refers to an upright stone,” whereas “tie refers to writing on silk or paper.” The brilliance of Han, Wei, and Tang stele inscriptions radiated alongside the graceful resonance of Jin dynasty cursive letters, the disciplined rigor of Tang dynasty standard script, the unrestrained elegance of cursive script, and the spirited freedom of Qin and Han bamboo and wooden slips. Together, these traditions nourished an unparalleled flourishing of calligraphic practice.
From the Song dynasty onward, Chinese calligraphy entered a period of transformation. Once the fundamental forms of script had been established, the evolution of the art increasingly hinged on the creativity and transmission of individual calligraphers. The rise of tie studies (tie xue 帖学)—the study and emulation of model calligraphy sheets—began in the Northern Song, sparked by the reproduction and dissemination of the Chunhua Ge Tie (《淳化阁帖》), a collection of engraved calligraphy models that achieved enormous influence. Its momentum swept across the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, shaping the artistic pursuits of generations. Eminent figures in the history of calligraphy—Yu Shinan with his gentle grace, Ouyang Xun with his strict precision, Chu Suiliang with his elegant refinement, Su Shi with his heroic boldness, Huang Tingjian with his rugged originality, Mi Fu with his carefree spontaneity, Zhao Mengfu, Dong Qichang, and others—all upheld tie studies as their foundation. Their diverse styles intertwined to weave a long, exquisite scroll of calligraphic brilliance.
By the late Qing, however, tie studies began to show signs of fatigue. Repetition of style bred monotony, spiritual vigor faded, and creative momentum stalled. This impasse paved the way for the rise of stele studies (bei studies, 碑学), which emerged precisely at the moment when tie studies faced decline. Riding the broader cultural wave of epigraphy (jinshi xue 金石学), stele studies burst forth from its cocoon. Visionaries such as Ruan Yuan and Bao Shichen gave the movement its initial momentum, while Kang Youwei’s Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji (《广艺舟双楫》)—a clarion call that reverberated across the calligraphic world—not only coined the term “stele studies” but also deepened the field across historiography, theory, technique, and aesthetics. This signaled the arrival of the stele studies era. The ancient simplicity of Jin Nong, the vigorous force of Zheng Banqiao, the robust power of Deng Shiru, and the unique voices of calligraphers through the Republican era all embodied the distinctive energy of stele aesthetics. Han Yutao would later regard this tradition as the third great aesthetic current in the history of Chinese calligraphy, worthy of standing alongside the resonance of the Jin and the grandeur of the Tang. He praised its rugged power, archaic simplicity, and unpolished strength—an aesthetic that enriched the canon of calligraphic beauty.
In the late Qing and beyond, the once heated debate between stele and model calligraphy gradually gave way to a spirit of synthesis. Folk traditions, popular calligraphy styles, new model studies, and academic calligraphy each blossomed in their own right, infusing contemporary calligraphy with vitality and diversity. Since the 1990s, with the gradual waning of stele studies, classic tie models—especially those of the “Two Wangs” (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi)—have returned to the center of the calligraphic mainstream, ushering in a new stylistic current. This shift has not only reshaped the texture of calligraphic creation but also triggered a profound reexamination of calligraphic values and aesthetics, compelling us to reconsider the contemporary relevance of tie studies.
Thus, the reinvention and revival of tie studies in the present day have emerged as a pressing cultural and artistic project—an endeavor to bridge past and present, to carry forward tradition while breaking new ground. The Qing dynasty's pursuit of the stele tradition’s bold aesthetic was, at its core, a profound return to the origins of tie studies—a reinterpretation and reengagement with the spiritual essence of Jin and Tang calligraphy. Its raw, untamed beauty posed a challenge to the refined conventions of literati calligraphy, offering instead a deeper and more uncompromising exploration of the fundamental nature of the art. What may appear a deviation from classical elegance is, in fact, a courageous reaffirmation of the essence of calligraphy itself.
Today, after more than forty years of creative ferment and theoretical debate, contemporary calligraphy stands at the threshold of a new historical chapter. What we seek is not a superficial revival, nor a nostalgic cycle of return, but a bold reimagining—a fusion of stele and model traditions, a rebirth of new tie studies (xin tie xue 新帖学). This aspiration calls for an aesthetic discourse that transcends eras, grounded in the millennia-long depth of Chinese calligraphy, to rebuild its contemporary aesthetic system. Such a rebirth demands not only that we bear the weight of history and confront the challenges of the present but also that we adopt a historical perspective expansive enough to rediscover the transcendent value of tie studies within a broader calligraphic framework.
The new tie studies manifest themselves in three key dimensions: first, an emphasis on the balance between natural brushwork and the vigorous spirit of stele inscriptions; second, the coexistence of classical refinement and folk expressiveness; and third, an aesthetic inclusiveness that embraces both masculine strength and feminine grace, as well as the strange, the eccentric, and the grotesque.
It is in this spirit that the Exhibition of Fourteen Contemporary Calligraphers of the New Tie Studies comes into being—not merely as a gathering of artists but as a critical inquiry into the ideals and aesthetic pursuits of the new tie movement. Through this exhibition and its accompanying symposium, we aim to showcase the creative intelligence and historical insight of a new generation of tie scholars, laying a solid theoretical foundation for the reinvention and rebirth of the model calligraphy tradition—so that this ancient art might once again radiate with dazzling brilliance in the present age.
—Wu Huiping (吴慧平)
EXHIBITION INFO
Exhibition Dates:
May 1–25, 2025
Venue:
Chaozhou Art Museum, Halls 1, 2, 3, and 4
(Chaozhou Dadao Central Section, Chaozhou, Guangdong Province)
Tel 丨0768 - 2527277 E-mail 丨czart2527277@163.com
Organizers:
Calligraphy Institute of the China National Academy of Arts
Guangdong Calligraphers Association
Chaozhou Federation of Literary and Art Circles
Lingnan Painting Academy (Lingnan Art Museum)
Co-Organizers:
Chaozhou Calligraphers Association
Chaozhou Art Museum
Participating Calligraphers (in order of age):
Liu Yanhu (刘彦湖), Chen Zhongkang (陈忠康), Chen Hailiang (陈海良), Yan Yiduan (颜奕端), Xiao Wenfei (萧文飞), Yang Tao (杨涛), Wang Zhongyong (王忠勇), Liu Hongzhen (刘洪镇), Lu Dadong (鲁大东), Li Shuangyang (李双阳), Wang Ke (王客), Shi Ligang (施立刚), Wang Yijun (王义军), Long You (龙友)
ARTISTS ARTWORKS
