Appreciation of Fine Calligraphy Works by Contemporary Famous Calligraphers -- Calligraphy Works of Jiang Lihua

Author: Jia Dejiang, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Jiang Lihua is well-versed in ancient classics and possesses profound knowledge, making him a scholar-calligrapher. His works always feature texts that he enjoys, serving as an outlet for his genuine emotions and expressing his life philosophy, ideals, and aspirations. His calligraphic style favors qualities such as "weight," "simplicity," "grandeur," and "vigor," and he prefers "fewer characters." He believes this helps avoid the pitfalls of frivolity, coquettishness, and excessive delicacy. As a result, his calligraphy excels in large-character running script, with a focus on vigorous and dynamic brushwork, striving for full, ink-saturated strokes filled with passion. Here, Jiang Lihua abandons the "cowardice" and "ornamentation" of scholars, emphasizing emotion, momentum, interest, and straightforward expression. His calligraphy is unadorned yet subtly embodies a spiritual force and the freedom of "lawless law." The spirited and robust brushwork, in the transitions between strokes, achieves a "thick to thin" and "dry to moist" effect, unrestrained yet disciplined, wild yet elegant, demonstrating the "lawless law" of Shitao the master, and embodying Su Dongpo's "creating new meaning within the bounds of tradition and expressing profound wisdom beyond unrestrained freedom." His deep reverence, patient understanding, and thorough study of have allowed Jiang Lihua's large-character running script to blend the robust and vigorous essence of Yan Zhenqing with the rhythmic fluctuations of Nan Gong, the dynamic vigor of Wang Jiesi, and the unrestrained freedom of Huang Tingjian. This results in a style that is both comprehensive and uniquely creative, transforming tradition into innovation, using human ingenuity to express the authentic self, and showcasing the calligrapher's ability to integrate the past and forge his own path. Jiang Lihua's style creation is not merely about "performance for performance's sake"; it is a manifestation of cultural spirit and self-character.