Beautiful brushwork

Chinese calligraphy teacher talks

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb

Chinese calligraphy is the beautiful art of writing Chinese characters with a special brush. In Thailand, Chinese calligraphy is taught at schools and universities that offer Chinese language majors.

Taiwanese professor Jin Wen Lu, who teaches Mandarin at Rangsit University, is very knowledgeable about Chinese calligraphy, since the subject is an important part of Taiwanese education.

“After kids in Taiwan learn how to write Chinese characters, they have to learn how to write the characters with a calligraphy brush,” the professor said.

WRITTEN HISTORY

In ancient times, Chinese characters were written with a knife on hard surfaces such as tortoiseshell or bamboo. During the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), it is believed that General Meng Tian invented the Chinese brush, using horse hair to write a report to his superior during a war.

“General Meng Tian made a brush from horse hair to write a report because he found that using a knife took too long,” Jin Wen Lu said.

These days, calligraphy brushes are often made from the fur of rabbits or the wool of goats and sheep.

BEGINNER GUIDELINES

Chinese calligraphy is offered as an elective class at Rangsit University. Students who enroll in the class must already know how to write Chinese characters.

Jin Wen Lu explained that the four main tools used in writing Chinese calligraphy are paper, a brush, ink and inkstones, all of which can be found easily in Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown.

“Chinese calligraphy is an art, so there are a lot of techniques to learn, including how to get the right consistency of ink and how to hold the brush properly,” Jin Wen Lu said. “Beginners also need to sit up straight and hold the brush upright while writing.”

PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT

Anybody who wants to be good at Chinese calligraphy needs to work at it every day. Jin Wen Lu confessed that she has little time to practise these days, so the calligraphy samples published here were made by her friends.

“Being really good at Chinese calligraphy requires daily practise,” Jin Wen Lu said. “You also need to concentrate during practise, because a beautiful stroke of calligraphy must have great balance and a perfect shape.”

MIXED CLASSES

When a Chinese calligraphy class opens at RU, about 30 students usually enroll. The reactions of the students tend to vary every time.

“Some students enjoy concentrating on calligraphy and work very hard at it, but other students find it too difficult,” Jin Wen Lu said. “Left-handed students especially find it hard because the characters are always written from left to right.”

Aside from students, the class also receives attention from other teachers at the university.

“Instructors who are interested in Chinese culture sometimes attend the classes,” Jin Wen Lu said. “This subject doesn’t have any age limit — anybody can learn it if they already know Chinese characters.”

PERSONAL STYLE

Jin Wen Lu advised that after learning for a while, students should start to develop their own writing style.

“The class provides basic knowledge of calligraphy, but calligraphy is like a painting,” she said. “After you learn the basics, you should try to develop your own unique style of writing.”

 

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