On the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, I would like to pay tribute to the famous calligrapher Mr. Wang Youzhi!
Text/Hu Youde
February 8 is also the eighth day of the Lunar New Year. Entrusted by Mr. Chen Songchang, President of Hunan Jiuge Calligraphy and Painting Institute, and Mr. Zhang Chuwu, Vice President and Secretary General of Hunan Jiuge Calligraphy and Painting Institute, he came to the home of Mr. Wang Youzhi, Vice President of Hunan Jiuge Calligraphy and Painting Institute and famous calligrapher, and sent New Year greetings to Teacher Wang and his family on behalf of Jiuge Calligraphy and Painting Institute.
Today's Changsha is unusually cold, the lowest temperature is zero degrees, and there is a little sleet in the afternoon. But when I walked into Teacher Wang's house, I was greeted with a warm enthusiasm, and as soon as I entered the door, Teacher Wang and my mother greeted me with a smile on their faces.
Although Teacher Wang was unable to participate in the 2021 annual meeting and the Spring Pen Meeting of the Jiu Ge Calligraphy and Painting Institute due to the inconvenience of his legs and feet, he always hung up on the Nine Songs, and his concern for the Jiu Ge family was overflowing with words. He said that when the weather turns better and the spring is warm and blossoming, it is necessary to take more time to participate in the activities of the Nine Songs and create more excellent calligraphy and painting works to add bricks and tiles to the Nine Songs Calligraphy and Painting Institute. He said that under the leadership of the new president, Mr. Chen Songchang, the Jiuge Calligraphy and Painting Institute will surely move to a higher height and rank among the first-class calligraphy and painting academies in the country.
This time I came to Teacher Wang's home, on the one hand, I paid a New Year's greeting to Teacher Wang and his mother, and on the other hand, I also brought an unprinted painting created by Teacher Wang at the PEN conference and filled in Teacher Wang's seal. Mr. Wang Youzhi is famous for his calligraphy and is famous for his large grass, but his large-scale freehand flowers and birds are also extraordinary, receiving many praises and being widely welcomed by collectors.
Mr. Wang Youzhi is 86 years old, with a rosy face, bright eyes, clear mind and sharp tongue. Except for the occasional inconvenience of walking on the legs and feet in extremely cold weather, the body is good in other aspects. Master Wang's mother is hospitable, her body is tough and healthy, and she takes care of Teacher Wang's diet and living carefully and thoughtfully.
Mr. Wang Youzhi has excellent calligraphy and painting, has a good reputation for art, is a well-known artist with good moral and artistic integrity, and is also the most respected predecessor of calligraphy and painting in my mind. I sincerely wish Teacher Wang good health and evergreen art tree, which is the blessing of the nine songs, the blessing of the Hunan art world, and the blessing of the Chinese book world.
Walking out of Teacher Wang's house, the cold wind and rain and snow outside the house, but my heart is still steaming and warm.
(The author is the vice president of Hunan Jiuge Calligraphy and Painting Institute)
