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Wei Ligang's Contemporary Calligraphy & Banquet of Magnificence
by Ji Xiaofeng, General Manager of Being 3 Art Gallery, 2011 in Beijing
Chinese characters are the most ancient yet lively in the modern Chinese civilization. They are the only characters that have kept a historical continuity among the developments of all characters around the world. In visual terms, they are systems of formal construction, structures of meanings, means to think through forms and, from certain perspectives, ways to train one’s heart and mind. Chinese characters are not only what construct a language, but also symbols that connect with the world. They have given us far more than what we have imagined.
Cherish our Chinese characters. In the transformation from traditional calligraphy to modern calligraphy, and on to art forms developed from Chinese characters, Chinese characters are both the end and, of which the means. When the use of Chinese characters became a success in computer technology, the figures of Chinese characters, as a type of art, re-opened a unique and pure way of perception.
Using Chinese characters is in itself a unique type of Art. Wei Ligang, pioneering in contemporary art inspired by Chinese characters, has been through stages such as classic calligraphy, modern calligraphy, and then a breakthrough from calligraphy to international contemporary art. Through his two-decade long exploration, we could see how Chinese characters evolved from a symbolic tool of Chinese culture to an international visual appreciation.
Before 2000, Wei tried to completely overthrow the existing rules of traditional calligraphy, in order to explore a new artistic scenario with independent aesthetic values. He tried to use various colors and materials to explore various possibilities, and to breakthrough and overturn conventional calligraphy concepts. For instance, he discovered the multiple tracing and adding of calligraphy lines in Chagall’s paintings. Another example is the mixing of paint, cloth, spray paint, knife, and cooking brush. Fan Di’an once commented, “Wei Ligang is the guardian of Chinese calligraphy’s inner spirit, in the meantime, he is a rebel against traditional calligraphy rules. A young generation of calligraphers, including Wei Ligang, has started a revolution within calligraphy...Wei finally built up his own art world.” Since the year 2000, Wei’s artwork completely stepped out of calligraphy, and became a contemporary artistic method that only derived from traditional calligraphy and paintings. His visual system officially set up “Wei’s Mo Kuai” as the symbol. Wei says, “Wei is me, kuai is the square Chinese characters and the square structure, and mo is fantasy. It is not a specific character from some dynasty, but a square that was created with all the reserves and inspirations emerged into one moment. This is unprecedented in both structure and quality.”
Wei has not stopped his explorations, and his latest series appears with golden backgrounds and solid black lines. These works are expressions through abundant yet subtle colors. The color gold represents greatness, nobility, splendor, and purity. The sheer black color represents the eternal ink. Gold and black together create a thickness in texture and layers, and thus generate a visual fusion of traditional and worldly qualities. This series has returned to the writing trace of tradition Chinese characters through expressionist lines. Such explorations and experiments have come to a confident collaboration. With a unique artistic method that realizes the return of the inner spirit of Chinese characters, Wei’s art has become a contemporary art form stemmed from traditional calligraphy that, with its encompassing concepts and visions, transcends cultures and geographic regions.
Biography Works
Wei Ligang's Contemporary Calligraphy & Banquet of Magnificence
by Ji Xiaofeng, General Manager of Being 3 Art Gallery, 2011 in Beijing
Chinese characters are the most ancient yet lively in the modern Chinese civilization. They are the only characters that have kept a historical continuity among the developments of all characters around the world. In visual terms, they are systems of formal construction, structures of meanings, means to think through forms and, from certain perspectives, ways to train one’s heart and mind. Chinese characters are not only what construct a language, but also symbols that connect with the world. They have given us far more than what we have imagined.
Cherish our Chinese characters. In the transformation from traditional calligraphy to modern calligraphy, and on to art forms developed from Chinese characters, Chinese characters are both the end and, of which the means. When the use of Chinese characters became a success in computer technology, the figures of Chinese characters, as a type of art, re-opened a unique and pure way of perception.
Using Chinese characters is in itself a unique type of Art. Wei Ligang, pioneering in contemporary art inspired by Chinese characters, has been through stages such as classic calligraphy, modern calligraphy, and then a breakthrough from calligraphy to international contemporary art. Through his two-decade long exploration, we could see how Chinese characters evolved from a symbolic tool of Chinese culture to an international visual appreciation.
Before 2000, Wei tried to completely overthrow the existing rules of traditional calligraphy, in order to explore a new artistic scenario with independent aesthetic values. He tried to use various colors and materials to explore various possibilities, and to breakthrough and overturn conventional calligraphy concepts. For instance, he discovered the multiple tracing and adding of calligraphy lines in Chagall’s paintings. Another example is the mixing of paint, cloth, spray paint, knife, and cooking brush. Fan Di’an once commented, “Wei Ligang is the guardian of Chinese calligraphy’s inner spirit, in the meantime, he is a rebel against traditional calligraphy rules. A young generation of calligraphers, including Wei Ligang, has started a revolution within calligraphy...Wei finally built up his own art world.” Since the year 2000, Wei’s artwork completely stepped out of calligraphy, and became a contemporary artistic method that only derived from traditional calligraphy and paintings. His visual system officially set up “Wei’s Mo Kuai” as the symbol. Wei says, “Wei is me, kuai is the square Chinese characters and the square structure, and mo is fantasy. It is not a specific character from some dynasty, but a square that was created with all the reserves and inspirations emerged into one moment. This is unprecedented in both structure and quality.”
Wei has not stopped his explorations, and his latest series appears with golden backgrounds and solid black lines. These works are expressions through abundant yet subtle colors. The color gold represents greatness, nobility, splendor, and purity. The sheer black color represents the eternal ink. Gold and black together create a thickness in texture and layers, and thus generate a visual fusion of traditional and worldly qualities. This series has returned to the writing trace of tradition Chinese characters through expressionist lines. Such explorations and experiments have come to a confident collaboration. With a unique artistic method that realizes the return of the inner spirit of Chinese characters, Wei’s art has become a contemporary art form stemmed from traditional calligraphy that, with its encompassing concepts and visions, transcends cultures and geographic regions.
Biography Works
