Xiong Boqi Calligraphy Collection

Author: Xiong Boqi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: The calligraphic art of the Chinese nation should include calligraphy, painting, and seal carving. Seal carving, though completed with chisels and stones, still requires calligraphic writing in terms of the characters. Therefore, the ancients had the saying, "Seals originate from calligraphy." Zhao Zhiqian also wrote a poem about seal carving: "The ancients had both brush and ink, while modern people only have chisels and stones." Hence, it is included in the traditional Chinese calligraphic and painting tools, both of which use the brush. The cultural learning of the previous generations began with writing brush characters, and daily writing also relied on the brush. Thus, the ancients had a skillful habit of using brushes. When using the same tool for painting, this habit is subconsciously carried over into painting, leading to the saying, "Calligraphy and painting share the same origin."
In recent years, publishers often release collections of calligraphy, treating the publication of such collections as if setting up an exhibition. Mr. Sha Menghai once said that painters can hold exhibitions, but calligraphers cannot. This may be because most calligraphers are proficient in only one or two scripts, and it is quite challenging to support an exhibition with dozens or even hundreds of works. If they are forced to delve into other scripts, they may inevitably appear clumsy and unrefined, as they are caught between a rock and a hard place. Sun Guoting's Book of Calligraphy states, "Specializing in one script is easy, but achieving perfection is difficult." My calligraphy stems from interest and is practiced as a game—not out of a desire for completeness. To avoid falling into the awkward situation mentioned above is already a great fortune.
The collection is published with a preface at the beginning, and I cannot be an exception. I have written a few thoughts on calligraphy, compiling them loosely as a preface.