A "tiger" character, oracle bone knife-like brushstrokes, and different cursive fonts around it, all show the domineering spirit of the king. Not only "tigers", but also the zodiac signs written in oracle bone documents, each of which is vivid and freehand... Recently (February 1-15, 2022), the "Cloud Line - Xumei (Xue Estate) Chinese Character Calligraphy Creative Exhibition" held at the flagship store of Duoyun Academy on the 52nd floor of Shanghai Center not only conveys Chinese character culture while opening up endless imagination space for viewers.
Artist Xu Mei (Xue Estate) has been immersed in the study of oracle bone calligraphy for many years, and has tried to interpret the beauty of oracle bone pictograms with the concept of contemporary art. Hosted by Liu Mingang, professor of Shanghai Normal University and executive vice president of Shanghai Language and Writing Workers Association, and Curator by Dong Yi, the exhibition showcases Xu Mei's exquisite works in the creative process of Chinese calligraphy. The exhibition is sponsored by Century Duoyun, Shanghai Language and Writing Workers Association, and Shanghai Book Association Youth Committee.
Xu Mei (Photo: Zhou Junfeng)
As the first exhibition of the Lunar New Year, this exhibition at an altitude of 239 meters has an unusual ancient meaning and new meaning. The 40 works exhibited in the exhibition are divided into three parts: "The Creativity of Oracle Bone Characters", "Zodiac Oracle Bone" and "Design Charm of Ancient Chinese Characters", through the unique interpretation of the calligraphy art given to ancient characters, showing the origin and evolution of Chinese characters, expressing the meaning of "one word and a thousand autumns", and showing the taste and culture of Chinese characters. "I hope that more people, especially young people, will love the oldest chinese script, oracle bone, understand the roots of Chinese characters, appreciate the beauty of Chinese characters, and creative Chinese character design." Then tell the Chinese story well and enhance cultural self-confidence! When talking about the purpose of creation, Xu Mei said so. February 8 is her birthday, "I hope this day can also become a new starting point for my own artistic exploration!" ”
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On the occasion of the centenary of the discovery of oracle bones in 1999, the Shanghai Museum held a special exhibition of oracle bones, and in 2019, it held a special exhibition of the 120th anniversary of the discovery of oracle bones, and various oracle dictionaries have long been available. "How to integrate the aesthetic consciousness of modern people with the ancient writing system?" This is a question that Chen Xiejun, former director of the Shanghai Museum, pondered. Calligraphy is about skill, but the evolution of writing is closely linked to the development of social history, and in his view, the novelty of this exhibition is to link calligraphy with the history of writing.
Chen Xiejun
Kanji design is also quite creative. On the occasion of the Arrival of the Lunar New Year, Xu Mei's "Tiger Fu" is driven by a cute tiger baby with "newborn tiger boy who is not afraid of cows". Using the expression next to the "show" of "Fu" and the sound of the word "畐", she uses a book to connect "show" and "tian" into one, and in one stroke, so that the continuation, longevity, happiness and perfection of the word "Fu" are fully presented, pinning people's yearning for a happy life and the expectation of a better future.
Tiger Fu
After watching the exhibition, some viewers left a message saying that the oracle bone that originally thought that "a serious book" "did not have much strength", but did not expect that the calligraphy of the oracle bone was integrated into the creativity, which could become "lively", and even showed humorous elements, although the calligraphy did not know anything and also saw it with relish, "It is really evil and quite successful and innovative!" ”
Zhou Zhigao (Photo: Zhou Junfeng)
Liu Mingang
As Zhou Zhigao, honorary chairman of the Shanghai Calligraphers Association, said, the inheritance of culture requires integrity and innovation. "Let the art of writing be popularized and visualized, so that young people can understand and love it." Liu Mingang, a professor at Shanghai Normal University, believes that the seemingly cold oracle bone can also show a funny image, and it is not easy for more young people to like, love, and then study oracle bones. Xu Mei made a successful attempt at the interpretation of oracle bones, and hoped that more people would devote themselves to exploring the connotation of ancient characters and bringing old characters to new life.
Images (unless noted) are provided by the respondent