The Senior Calligraphy Exhibition 黄金岁月展

The 21st Senior Calligraphy Exhibition, organised by the Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore (CCSS), will be held at Singapore Calligraphy Centre’s Lee Kong Chian Hall from 26 Sep to 29 Sep for 4 days. Calligraphic works of 61 learners of calligraphy will be on display at the exhibition.
It has been 23 years since CCSS held the first exhibition known as the ‘Calligraphy Exhibition for the Youth’ in 1986. This series of exhibitions, held for the learners of Chinese calligraphy, is among the calligraphy exhibitions with the longest history in Singapore. It was a platform created by CCSS to provide opportunity for students of its calligraphy classes to learn from each other and to share experiences. CCSS started the first calligraphy classes in 1974 at the Macpherson Education Centre.

The first ‘Calligraphy Exhibition for the Youth’ was held from 13 March to 16 March 1986 at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry. It was declared open by Ong Pang Boon (Wang Bangwen), the Society’s advisor and the then MP for Telok Ayer. 13 students from the Society’s calligraphy classes with 64 pieces of their works were put on display at the exhibition.

In 1992, due to the increase in the enrolment for its calligraphy classes, CCSS decided that the exhibition should be held annually and be renamed to ‘Calligraphy Exhibition for All’. The renamed exhibition was first held at the Singapore Conference Hall on 14 and 15 Nov 1992. It was declared open by the then Chairman of Teo Ann Association and 82 pieces of calligraphic works were put on display. The exhibition was to be held biennially.

The opening of the Singapore Calligraphy Centre in 1995 means the exhibition now has a permanent home. For the first time in 1995, a week-long exhibition was held in the Lee Kong Chian Hall of the Calligraphy Centre. It was declared open by the Centre Chairman on 11 Nov. The exhibition displayed 97 pieces of works by learners of calligraphy of all ages.

In 2005, in order to allow more calligraphy lovers to participate and to display their works, the exhibition was split into two different exhibitions. The ‘Junior Calligraphy Exhibition’ is a platform for school-going calligraphy learners to show off their talent in calligraphy, while the ‘Senior Calligraphy Exhibition’ is to provide opportunity for working adults and retirees to display their works and exchange learning experiences. The Senior Calligraphy Exhibition was declared open on19 Nov 2005 with 93 pieces of calligraphic works selected for display.

During the last 23 years, there were more and better calligraphic works being selected for participating in the exhibitions. This really reflects an increasingly active Chinese calligraphy community in Singapore, a fact that all of us should feel good and proud about.

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由新加坡书法家协会所主办的第二十一届‘黄金岁月展’将在9月26日在新加坡书法中心光前堂举行，为期4天，到9月29日结束。这次共有61名书法爱好者的作品被选展出。

这个展览自1986年举办至今，已经有二十三年的历史了，可以说是为书法爱好者所举办的一个历史悠久的新加坡书法活动。这个书展的前身是‘朝花书法展’，是新加坡书法家协会为属下书法班学员提供的一个互相切磋与交流的平台。书协（当时的中文名为新加坡中华书画研究会）自1974年开始于麦波申教育中心开设书法班。

第一届朝花书法展于1986年3月13日至16日于中华总商会举行，，由新加坡书法家协会（当时中文名称为新加坡书学协会）顾问及直落亚逸区国会议员王邦文先生揭幕。该届书展共展出了该协会13个研究班学员的64幅作品。该书展每两年举办一次。

从1992年起，随着书协书法班的学员的增加，书协决定把书展改为常年展，并改名为‘春华秋实书法展’。该届春华秋实书法展于1992年11月14日至15日在新加坡大会堂举行，共展出82位老中青书法工作者的作品，由潮安联谊社主席郑展松先生主持仪式。

1995年，新加坡书法中心落成，‘春华秋实书法展’就有了一个永久的家。该届书法展第一次在书法中心的光前堂举行。为期一周的书展于11月11日起举行由书法中心董事主席郑文麟揭幕，并展出老中青书法爱好者的作品97件。

2005年开始，为了让更多书法爱好者的作品能够有机会参加展出，这个书展改为两个书展会。‘新秀风采展’为正在念书的在籍学生的书法爱好者提供展出平台来展示他们的书法才华，‘黄金岁月展’则让来自各行各业的工作人士与已经退休的书法爱好者展出与交流学习经验。2005年11月19日举行的‘黄金岁月展’共有93人的作品被选展出。

可以说，这二十三年来，参与这个书法的人数与作品的阵容，无论在质与量方面，独有显著的增加与改善。正当然亦可以说显示了新加坡书坛的日益蓬勃发展，实在是可喜可贺。

Zhao Ji: The Emperor Calligrapher 赵佶：皇帝书法家

In the Chinese history, many emperors loved calligraphy and some of them became highly accomplished in the field. Speaking of emperor calligraphers, Zhao Ji (1082-1135) or Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1279) immediately comes to mind. He reigned from 1100 to 1126.

He was a skilled poet, painter, calligrapher and musician. He sponsored numerous artists at his court, and the catalogue of his imperial painting collection lists over 6,000 known paintings.

Because of his involvement with these pursuits, Huizong neglected the army, and Song China became increasingly weak and at the mercy of foreign enemies. In Jan 1127, the Jin on the northern border entered Bianliang (Kaifeng), the capital of the Northern Song Empire, and captured Huizong, his son Emperor Qinzong, as well as the entire imperial court and harem. In May 1127, Huizong was deported to northern Manchuria, where he spent the last eight years of his life as a captive in the small city of Wuguo (in present-day Yilan County, Heilongjiang Province). He died on 4 June 1135, at the age of fifty-two.

During his 25 years of governing, Zhao Ji was so addicted to calligraphy and art that he devoted little time to knotty political issues. He first made cuju (a prototype of football) star Gao Qiu his chief military commander, and then handed almost all governance to a few treacherous court officials, while he devoted himself to art and culture.

As a ruler he was incompetent, and allowed his officials to make decisions which hastened the demise of his empire, but his artistic talents and achievements were unparalleled. He invented the "Slender Gold" style of calligraphy. The name "Slender Gold" came from the fact that Huizong's writing style, comprising thin and straight strokes, resembled gold filament, twisted and turned.

His horizontal strokes ended with hooks, the vertical strokes with points. His slanting strokes were sharp as knives, and the vertical hooks as slim and tall as a fine young man. His style reflected a pursuit of perfection while obeying regulations. His calligraphy is unconventional and original, the strokes are stretched to their extreme limits and the result is a fascinating dynamism that until today stands out as an independent and striking interpretation of Chinese characters.

This style of calligraphy is a sharp diversion from anything seen before and in a way shows that although Huizong was not very courageous in the battle field, he certainly had the courage to innovate in the field of aesthetics. It can be said that his writing style reflected his rule as his endless pursuit of beauty in form made him overlook the overall setting, indicating that he was deficient in resolution and persistence.

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在中国的历史里，很多皇帝爱好书法，其中不少在这门艺术里的成就还是很高的。说到皇帝书法家，使人立刻想到北宋（960-1279）的徽宗赵佶（1082-1135）。他在位于1100 - 1126。

他精于诗、画、书法与音乐。在宫里，他养不少艺术家，收藏了不少过6000幅知名绘画。

由于他对这类事物的追求，以致忽略了军事，宋朝日益衰弱，为外敌所摆布。1127年1月，在北边疆的金攻入汴梁（开封），逮捕了徽宗、他的儿子钦宗、整个朝廷文武官员与后宫女眷。1127年5月，徽宗被流放到北方的满洲，这那里的小城市五国城 (今黑龙江省依兰县)度过了人生最后的八年的俘虏生活。他死于1135年6月4日，享年52岁。

在他统治的25年里，赵佶过于沉迷于书法与艺术而没有花时间在棘手的政治课题。首先他提拔善于蹴鞠（足球的雏形）的高球为殿前都太尉（掌管军事的高官），然后又把所有治理的权力置于几个奸臣手中，这样他就可以把时间花在艺术与文化。

作为一个统治者，他是无能的，他允许他的官员作决策，加速了王朝的灭亡，可是他艺术才能与成就却是无与伦比的。他创造了‘瘦金体’（ 瘦筋体）书体。之所以称为瘦金体是因为徽宗的书写风格包含了瘦与直的线条，犹如金丝、扭曲与削转。

他的横划收笔带钩，竖划收笔带点。他的撇划如匕首、竖钩细长如少男。他的风格反映出他追求完美同时遵循规律。他的书法独创、不跟随传统，线条伸延至极限，形成迷人的活力，直到今天它因独立与出众地阐述中国文字而显得突出。

他的书法前无古人，显示他虽然在战场上没有多大的勇气，在美的领域，他的创造勇气却是过人的。可以说，他的书写风格反映出他的统治，对于形式美的无限追求使他忽视了总体，显示了他的犹豫不决与缺乏坚持。

Chen Jen Hao 陈人浩

Chen Renhao (Chen Jen Hao 1908 - 1976) was an educator and Chinese calligrapher. He was also proficient in painting.

Chen was born into a wealthy family in Fuzhou, China. After completed his secondary school education in 1924, he went to Shanghai to receive art education. In 1928, he travelled to Paris for further study. After graduation in 1932, he returned to China and taught at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts from 1933 for 5 years. While in Shanghai, Chen met and became close friends with fellow artist Liu Kang (1911-2004), who married Chen's sister Jen-ping (Ren Bin) in 1937. In the same year of his sister’s marriage he was forced to flee to Muar, Malaya due to the Japanese invasion of China. At first, he taught at Chung Hwa Secondary and after the Second World War he became the principal of Chung Hwa High School in Muar, Johor.

He moved to Singapore in 1956 and became the principal of Kallang West Government Chinese Middle School, which is the predecessor of Dunman Government Chinese Middle School (now called Dunman High School). He was the principal of the school till 1969 when he retired.

Chen’s father was a scholar who practiced Chinese calligraphy regularly. Since young, Chen observed closely how his father practiced calligraphy. He was very much influenced and became interested in the art as well. His family had a good collection of calligraphic works of various periods by various calligraphers. Chen practiced all of them and later developed his own style of writing. He started with Yan and Ou style and followed by practising the works of Su Shi, Huang Ting Jian, Mi Fu and others.

As a principal, Chen liked to write school notices using the Chinese brush. The beautifully written notices had attracted many students to come to the notice board just to look at the writings. Some students from neighbouring schools were attracted by the writings too. One of them was calligrapher and painter Koh Mun Hong (Xu Mengfeng) who mentioned in one of his books how he was fascinated by Chen’s writings and decided to learn calligraphy after seeing them. There is no doubt that many more students were similarly influenced and had developed a keen interest in calligraphy.

Liu Kang, a famous painter, once commented Chen’s calligraphy, saying the structure of his calligraphy was decorous and solid, and his strokes were strong, smooth and simple. The calligraphy therefore revealed its gentle beauty and yet retained the dignity, its liveliness and yet maintained the manly mettle. His couplets, displaying the charm of vigour and strength, would pleasantly delight the viewers. His vertical banners, mostly written in walking cursive (xingcao) style, were spontaneous and free, like floating clouds and flowing water, and naturally they would charm the viewers.

It is a pity that Chen did not conduct calligraphy classes and therefore did not have students learning calligraphy from him during his life time. Probably this is a greatest loss to the Singapore calligraphy community.

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陈人浩是一名教育家与书法家。他也是一名画家。

陈人浩出生于福州的一个富有人家。1924年中学毕业后到上海去接受艺术教育。1932年毕业后，到法国深造。1932年毕业后回到上海，于1933年在上海美专教课，为期五年。在上海的时候，他遇到了画家刘抗并成为了好朋友。1937年，刘抗与陈人浩的妹妹陈人滨结婚。就在他妹妹结婚的这一年，由于日本侵略中国，陈人浩被逼逃亡到马来亚的麻坡。他首先在麻坡的中华中学当教员。第二次世界大战后，他成为柔佛州麻坡中化中学的校长。

1956年，他移居新加坡，担任加冷西政府华文中学的校长。这间学校是德明政府华文中学（现改名为德明中学）的前身。他一直担任这间学校的校长，直到1969年退休为止。

陈的父亲是一名书生，经常练习书法。从小陈就仔细观察父亲书写书法，因此受到了影响，以至对这门艺术产生了兴趣。由于他的家所藏的书法字帖丰富，陈临摹了这些字帖，并在后形成自己的风格。他从颜、欧体开始，后来学苏、黄、米及其他书家的字帖。

在他担任校长期间，他喜欢以毛笔来书写布告。字体美丽的布告吸引了不少学生前来布告栏看字，就连附近学校的学生也被这些字所吸引了。其中的一个就是著名画家与书法家许梦丰。他在一部书中谈到他如何被陈的字所吸引与看到陈的字后决定学书法。相信当时不少学生就是受到他的影响而对书法发生兴趣。

著名画家刘抗(1911-2004)曾评说，他的字宫架稳实厚重，笔法苍润扑拙，庄严中含有几分秀丽，活泼中不失丈夫气概；他的对联，最能表现出雄浑的魄力，令观者胸怀为之一畅；他的条幅，多以行草书写，洒脱超逸，有如行云流水，叫鉴赏者心醉。

很可惜，陈人浩在世时并没有开书法班和收书法学生。这可能是新加坡书法界的最大损失。

Chinese Bronze Inscriptions金文

Inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells and inscriptions on bronze are the early representatives in the art of Chinese calligraphy.

After the Oracle Inscriptions, Chinese writing evolved into the form found on bronze ware made during the Shang Dynasty, Western Zhou Dynasty (c 1066–770 BC) and the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BCE), a kind of writing called jinwen ‘metal script’. Bronze wares are utensils made of copper alloys, usually with tin as main additive, on which one can not only see veins and decorative design, but also many inscriptions.

The trend of engraving and casting inscriptions on bronze ware started in mid and late Shang dynasty, flourishing in the Western Zhou, and gradually declined after the Warring States period. It last totally about one thousand years.

Most of the inscriptions on the bronze ware are cast and only a few is carved by sharp tools. Early bronze inscriptions were almost always cast (that is, the writing was done with a stylus in the wet clay of the piece-mould from which the bronze was then cast), while later inscriptions were often engraved after the bronze was cast.

The concave typeface of the characters is called as characters cut in intaglio; the raised characters are called as characters cut in relief. A lot of characters on the bronze ware are the cut in intaglio. The ancient people thought that bronze was quite firm so the inscriptions could be imperishably passed down, so the affairs that should be passed down must be cast on the bronze ware.

Most bronze inscriptions recorded the name of clan ancestors or the war, politics, largess and other important historical facts at that time. Therefore, inscriptions have become the important material for the research of the ancient history.

Along with the flourishing of stele study, calligraphers once again paid attention to bronze inscription in the Shang dynasty for practising seal script and doing research on new ways of structure forming.

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甲骨文是中国书法的最早形式。

甲骨文之后，中国文字在商朝、西周（公元前1006-700年）与春秋时期演变成为一种发现于铜器的文字形式，叫做‘金文’。铜器是用铜的合金制成，合金通常是加锡来混合。铜器上除了可看到纹与装饰设计外，还有铭刻文字。

把文字铭刻与铸于铜器，始于商朝中期与后期，盛于西周，而于战国后逐渐衰退。这种风俗持续了大约一千年。

多数的金文是铸造的，只有少数是用尖器来刻的。早期的金文几乎都是铸造的，就是说，把文字写在湿粘土铸型上后才来铸造铜器。后期金文是在铜器铸造完成后才刻上去。

文字如果是凹进去的就叫阴文，凸出来的就叫阳文。金文中阴文较多。古代人认为铜合金很坚硬，可以永久的流转后代，所以那些须要传给后世的就要铸刻在铜器上。

多数金文记录的是氏族祖先的名字、战争、政治、贡品及当时重要的历史事件。所以，金文成为研究古代历史的重要资料。

随着碑学的兴起，书法家再次注重学习商朝金文的篆书的学习并研找新的章法。