On Master Yun Long Zi’s Calligraphy Art - Speech by Li Mingquan (1/2)

My first encounter with Master Yun Long Zi’s calligraphic works was in March of last year at the Lotus on Water gallery in Singapore. I, along with several painters from China attending an international women’s painting exhibition in Singapore, was astounded! Having seen various calligraphy exhibitions in China, traditional, contemporary, innovative, and subversive, none was like Master Yun’s integration of tradition with modernity, solid brushwork foundations with dazzling and fantastical forms presented in calligraphy art! This was a first for me, and the spiritual shock experienced on foreign soil cannot be succinctly conveyed!

In the Lotus on Water gallery, the moment the interior lights were switched off, we were instantly transported into a mysterious and ancient time-space. Here, stars twinkled, colours burst forth, and a succession of both figurative and abstract images and symbols appeared before us, evoking a profound sense of the vast, majestic, and awe-inspiring universe deep within our souls. The magical and subtle feelings from distant galaxies followed, with the calligraphic images on the paper transforming into dragons soaring in the sky or phoenixes dancing above. An abundance of information on the paper, through oracle bone and large seal scripts, conveyed the beauty and auspiciousness of the world, transmitting positive energy from the universe, all while being perfectly framed by the radiant forms. This experience made us traverse through millennia and roam through wildernesses, evoking a strong sense of righteous qi within us! Overwhelmed by emotion, I penned a couplet with the Caobaozi brush technique to capture my excitement and profound feelings: “Clouds surge and winds rise, startling heaven and earth; dragons soar and phoenixes dance, stirring the cosmos.”

Last October, in the golden autumn season, Master Yun Long Zi hosted his calligraphy exhibition on the Simatai section of the Great Wall in Beijing, themed around this couplet. This was the first-ever art feast on the Great Wall’s over two thousand years of history. Holding a calligraphy exhibition on the Great Wall was unprecedented, a perfect blend of world art and paper art. On that day, as the exhibition opened under the clear skies and sea-like blue of Simatai, clouds gathered, and winds blew unexpectedly, shocking heaven and earth – truly, a celestial response! Master Yun’s 69 pieces of calligraphy, imbued with the essence of dragons and phoenixes, sought to organically combine ancient Eastern oracle bones, inscriptions, large and small seal scripts, regular script, running script with Western colours, structures, philosophies, aesthetics, Sinology, and metaphysics, embarking on a bold and beneficial exploration that defined his “Celebrationism” artistic characteristic. The integration of calligraphy, painting, the Great Wall, red carpets, lighting, installations, lion and dragon dances, vocal music, and fashion evolved into a grand performance art, leaving us with an unforgettable impression!

Traditional Chinese calligraphy is a unique art form, encompassing not just the writing of characters but also brush techniques, structures, compositions, and layouts, serving as an important medium for conveying emotions and sentiments. For instance, the joyous Wang Xizhi left us the eternally celebrated Preface to the Poems Collected from the Orchid Pavilion, while the sorrowful Yan Zhenqing penned the heartfelt Lament for My Nephew! The significant position of calligraphy art in Chinese culture is evident. It uses Chinese characters as a medium, merging the expression of form and meaning. The primary tools are, of course, the brush, ink, rice paper, and inkstone, but Master Yun Long Zi has incorporated elements like gold, silver, champagne, and pigments into his calligraphic creations, demonstrating high artistry in aspects such as handling the brush, brush movements, dotting, structuring, outlining, and shading, achieving a perfect artistic presentation.

The development of calligraphy is rooted in traditional Chinese culture, an integral part of Chinese heritage, described as “the silent poem, the formless dance, the imageless painting, the soundless music.” Master Yun has promoted this ancient yet youthful art in Singapore, inheriting the fine traditions of Chinese calligraphy while creating a new art form that aligns with Singapore’s customs, modern aesthetics, and fashionable lifestyle, without deviating from the principles or acting recklessly, demonstrating a robust vitality and high aesthetic value.