Wong Joon Tai on Chinese Calligraphy 王运开的书法之路

Wong Joon Tai (Wang Yunkai), who calls himself a simple-living person, claims to have understood the meaning of life at the age of forty and started fulfilling that meaning by learning Chinese calligraphy at fifty. Confucius once said, ‘At forty, I had no doubts and at fifty, I knew the mandate of Heaven.’ That is to say meaningful life only starts at fifty when one knows the mandate of heaven and acts on it.

In 2003, Wong learned Chinese calligraphy under Lee Kim Guan (Li Jinyuan), practised lishu ‘Caoquan Bei’ (Epitaph on the tombstone of Cao Quan, Han Dynasty) for three years, also practiced briefly the ‘Maogong Ding’ (Incense Burner), scripts on bamboo of Han, and ‘Shimen Song’ (an Ode Inscribed on the Stone Gate). Happened to pass by the Singapore Calligraphy Centre one day in 2004 and enrolled into calligraphy class conducted by Professor Tan Siah Kwee (Chen Shenggui). He then practised the walking style (xingshu) ‘Shenjiao Xu’ (The Preface to the Sacred Teaching) for five years and Zhao’s walking style xingshi for one year.

In 2007, he was influenced by Han Yutao’s theory that Chinese calligraphy is philosophical in nature and is about expression of feelings. This had led him to study on his own the Western and Chinese philosophies, aesthetics. He then created three blogs to keep notes of his study: Follow the Desires of My Mind, Chinese Calligraphy and The Chinese Lifeworld.

The experts seem to advocate that the only way to realise Chinese calligraphy as an art of expression is to work on cursive style of writing (caoshu). Therefore, he probably will spend the next three years on Caoshu. By that time he will be sixty years old, and if anyone criticises that he is crazy, he should be able to accept that criticism with a calm mind.

The copying work shown here is his practice on Wang Xizhi’s ‘Shiqi Tie’ (The collections of some of Wang Xizhi's letters).

Confucius once remarked, after he had begun the study of the Yijing (Book of Changes) at fifty, ‘If I could hope to live some years more, long enough to complete my study of the Yijing, I should then hope to be without any great shortcomings in my life.’

In his case, since he started learning Chinese calligraphy at fifty, he would say, ‘If I could hope to live some years more, long enough to complete my study of Chinese calligraphy, I should then hope to be without any great shortcomings in my life.’

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王运开，自号‘简易居士’。自认于不惑之年肯定了人生意义，知命之年开始行动而学书法。子曰：‘四十而不惑，五十而知天命。’就是说有意义的人生是在五十岁知道天命之后，并有了行动才开始的。

2003年跟李金源老师学书法，临了三年《曹全碑》，亦临过《毛公鼎》，汉简，《石门颂》。2004年无意中来到了新加坡书法中心，报名进入陈声桂教授的书法班，从此临了五年的《圣教序》与一年赵体行书。

2007年受到了韩玉涛书论的影响，说书法是哲学的，又是写意的。于是自修中西哲学，美学，并创立三个博客来作读书笔记：随意运开，中国书法、华人的生活世界。

看来书法专家多认为书法写意唯有草书。所以他大概会在以后三年苦练草书。那时已是耳顺之年，如果别人说他狂，应能以平静之心来看待了。

这里所展示的是他临王羲之《十七帖》的习作。

子曰：‘加我数年，五十以学易，可以无大过矣。’

吾曰：‘加我数年，五十以学书，可以无大过矣。’

Stone Drum Inscription: The Origin of Calligraphic Rules 石鼓文：书法第一法则

The stone drum inscription was honoured by Kang Youwei as ‘the origin of calligraphic rules’. This is with good reasons.

The style of stone drum inscription followed quite closely the style of bronze inscription in the Western Zhou dynasty. It also influenced the small seal script in the Qin dynasty.

In terms of calligraphy, the stone drum inscription deferred bronze inscription in its full and pithy strokes, symmetric and balanced structure and almost square form as well as the ordered broad ways of writing. Compared with bronze inscription, stone drum inscription was even more regular. It adopted the complicated structure of bronze inscription, and its symmetric and plump long strokes and regular ways of writing was adopted later by small seal script. Most characters were in form of horizontal rectangle. They were ordered, solid, solemn and imposing. It primitive beauty impressed people of all generations.

Calligraphers believe that stone drum inscription set up the criterion for large seal script which is precursor of small seal script. Apparently, stone drum inscription was the transitional form between bell inscription and stone inscription, between large seal script and small seal script. With it plump, strong and pithy style, it was considered as important model for practicing seal script by calligraphers from all times. Hence it gained the honour ‘the origin of calligraphic rules’.

The Qing dynasty had witnessed the greatest influence of stone drum inscription on Chinese calligraphy. Masters of seal script, Yang Yisun and Wu Changshuo, formed their own style based on the style of stone drum inscription.

The great historical significance of stone drum inscription was in its strokes, rules of writing and artistic conception that had provided reference for later calligraphy.

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石鼓文被康有为赞为‘书法第一法则’，那是基于很好的理由的。

石鼓文的字体，相当大程度上传承了西周金文，又对秦代小篆有很大的影响。

以书法来看，与金文不同的是它的笔法饱满而含蓄，结字对称与均衡，略趋方正，章法整齐开阔，与金文相比，石鼓文更加规范。它采取了金文繁复的结构，而其均称圆润的长笔与规整的写法又为小篆所吸收。其字体多为横向长方形，整齐、凝重、严肃与堂皇。其朴素之美，给后人留下深刻印象。

书法家相信石鼓文为大篆设下了标准，又成为小篆的先导。看来石鼓文是金文与石刻文、大篆与小篆间的过渡文字。其圆润、健壮与含蓄的书体，为历代书家临摹篆书最重要范本。所以能够赢得‘书法第一法则’之美誉。

清代受石鼓文影响最大。篆书大书法家杨沂孙、吴昌硕就是基于石鼓文而形成自己的风格。

石鼓文在历史上重要的意义在于其笔法、章法与意境为后代书法提供了借鉴。

Gan Kee Leong (Yan Lu) 颜绿

Gan Kee Leong (Yan Qilong, 1907 - 1982), better known as Yan Lu, was born in September 1907 in Anhai Town, Fujian Province. In 1926, he attended the School of Arts Education at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, but later moved to the Arts Faculty of the Shanghai University of Arts. He graduated from the university in 1930.

A teacher for most of his life, Gan had taught in China for 18 years before he came to Singapore in 1948. He tried several jobs but finally settled for teaching again. He taught Chinese language and Geography in Chung Cheng High School for 23 years. He was once a lecturer of the Nanyang University, teaching its pre-university students geography.

After retired from Chung Cheng High School, he taught at Sanyu Adventist School for 5 years before total retired from working life in 1975.

He practiced calligraphy since young. He learned to use the brush with a five-kilogram weight on his forearm and an egg under his wrist when his was a small boy. This training method kept his hand steady and his wrist flexible. When he was teaching in a village school in Anhui far away from his home, he worked with his brush every night to while away the time. This solid foundation has enabled him to keep his forceful strokes through his 40-odd years in Singapore despite lack of frequent practice.

He preferred lively, natural strokes, and belonged to the stele calligraphy school, as he was much influenced by the ‘Shimen Inscription’ and ‘Zhang Menglong Tablet’. He wrote in xing style, which resembles a walking man, and developed a unique style of executing rounded corner of the strokes. His calligraphy is judged to be natural and unforced, moving leisurely with rare appearance, like floating clouds and flowing water.

A quite man by nature, Gan did not conduct any art classes except a few enthusiastic students who came to him. He taught in the Chinese Calligraphy Society of River Valley Government Chinese Middle School (the predecessor of River Valley High School). He was also appointed Advisor of the Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore in 1973. Two books on his calligraphic works were published in 1980 and 1983 respectively by the Society.

Tan Swee Hian (Chen Ruixian) and Khoo Seng Kong (Qiu Chengguang) are two of his students that are active and well known artists in Singapore.

He went back to China in May 1981 and passed away in September 1982.

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颜期隆，或较为人知的颜绿，1907年9月生出生于福建安海镇。1926年赴上海美术专科学校读美术教育系，后来，又转入上海艺术大学文学系。1930年毕业于上海艺术大学。

颜绿一生几乎都在教书。在中国教了十八年书后，于1948年来新加坡。在从事不少行业后，最后还是回到教书工作。任教于中正中学有23年之久。他也担任过南洋大学先修班地理讲师。

中正退休后，在三育中学服务五年，至1975年才完全从工作中退休下来。

他从小就练习书法。还是小孩时，他以五公斤重物绑在前臂与以手腕握鸡蛋来练笔。这种训练方法使到他的手稳重而腕灵活。当他在安徽的一个远僻的小乡村教书时，他每晚就以书法来打发时间。这深厚的基础令他在新加坡四十多年一直保有强劲的笔力，虽然疏于练习。

他喜爱生动自然的笔划，属于碑派，因为深受《石门铭》与《张猛龙碑》的影响。他学的是行书，犹如一人走路，并形成独特的圆转笔划。他的书法被认为自然轻松，飞逸奇姿，如行云流水。

他的本性寂静，除了几个热心书法学生向他讨教外，他并没有开班授徒，只在立化政府华文中学（立化中学前身）的书法学会教导书法。他于1973年出任中华书学研究会的顾问。著有《颜绿翰墨集》（中华书学研究会第十种出版物，1980年9月版）、《颜绿遗墨》（中华书学研究会第廿二种出版物，1983年9月版）。

当今在新加坡艺坛活跃与著名的艺术家陈瑞献与邱程光都是他的学生。

1981年5月回中国，1982年9月病逝。

The National Calligraphy Huichun Competition 全国挥春大赛

This year’s National Calligraphy Huichun Competition will be held on 21 Feb (Sunday) at the Singapore Calligraphy Centre. Since the event first organised in 1983, this year’s competition is the 27th. It is a calligraphy event with the longest history in Singapore.

With the aim to promote Chinese calligraphy and set a festive mood, the Singapore International Youth Chamber of Commerce together with the Singapore Cultural Studies Society decided to organise the first National Calligraphy Huichun Competition in 1983. The competition was divided into two categories: Open category and Students category. It attracted 70 participants. It was declared open by Ho Kah Leong (He Jialiang), then the Parliamentary Secretary of Education. Ho also wrote eight Chinese words on the spot that said ‘spring returns to the earth and everything gets rejuvenated’.

From 1985, due the financial difficulty of the organisers, the Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore (CCSS) took over the organisation and administration of the competition. The 3rd competition was stilled held at Toa Payoh Gardens in 1985, and it attracted more than 200 participants that year.

In 1992, the venue of the competition was moved to the former Headquarters of the People’s Association (PA) in Kallang. In order to encourage more people to participate, two more categories of participants were added: Senior Citizen and Juniors.

The number of participants increased steadily over the years. Ho Kah Leong, then Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Communications and Information) said in 1987 when 328 participated in the competition, that he hoped that in years to come, this competition would attract not hundreds but thousands of calligraphy enthusiasts. His wish was fulfilled in 2006 when more than thousand people took part in the competition.

In 2009, due to the renovation works at the former Headquarters of PA, the venue of the competition was again moved to Waterloo Street, the ‘Cultural Street’ of Singapore. Despite of this, it attracted 1272 participants with ages ranging from 4 to 91 years old. This was the largest number of participants in the history of the competition.

We hope this year it can attract even more people to come forward and participate in the competition. This will help promote the development of Chinese calligraphy in Singapore.

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今年的‘全国挥春大赛’将于2月21日（星期天）在新加坡书法中心举行。这项比赛自1983年举办以来，今年已经是第27届了，可以说是新加坡历史最久的书法挥春比赛。

为了发扬中华书艺，增添春节气氛，新加坡国际青年商会和新加坡文化学术研究会于1983年2月20日（星期日）在大巴窑公园举行了第一届‘全国挥春比赛’。比赛分公开及学生两组进行。当时吸引了七十名公众人士与学生参加，由当时的教育部政务次长何家良先生主持开赛仪式。何家良当时也当众挥毫，写下‘大地回春，万象更新’。

由于经费的问题，从1985年开始，这项比赛有新加坡中华书学协会（新加坡书法家协会之前身）接办。第三节全国书法挥春比赛照旧在大巴窑公园举行，吸引了200多名公众人士与学生参加。

1992 年，比赛场地移到位于加冷的人民协会旧址。为了鼓励更多乐龄人士及儿童的参与，这届（第九届）比赛增设常青及稚龄两组。

参赛的人数也逐年增加。1987年原高级政务部长（交通与信息）何家良看到当时有328名人士参赛，他就希望以后吸引到的参赛者不是以百位计算，而是以千位计算。他的期望于2006年实现了。

2009年，受人民协会总部装修影响，举办了26年的全国挥春大赛移到有“新加坡文化街”之称的滑铁卢街举行。尽管如此，这项比赛仍吸引1272名介于4岁和91岁的参赛者，历来最多。

预祝今年的比赛能吸引更多的参加者，为促进新加坡书法发展尽一分力。