Whiting Library Presents an Introduction to Chinese Calligraphy

Whiting Library Presents an Introduction to Chinese Calligraphy

posted Monday, November 25, 2019

On Saturday, December 14th Whiting Library, on Main Street in Chester, will offer an Introduction to Chinese Calligraphy. Please join us beginning at 11am when we will cover the basics of calligraphy: how to hold a brush, how to write basic strokes, how to write standing. Though methods vary from teacher to teacher within China, there are fundamentals which are common and of great importance. Instructor Jonathan Root will provide extended examples and books detailing the styles of Ou-Yang-Xun and Yan-Zhen-Qing.

Jonathan Root was raised in Chester, VT. His formal academic training is in mathematics. After graduating with a PhD in mathematics he spent two years in China teaching and studying Chinese language and culture.

Calligraphy 'Shufa' is without question the most revered of all art forms in China today. The Chinese language itself has developed over an extended period of time, dating back to ancient images of 19th century B.C., shell and bone characters of 18th century B.C., to the modern-day character structure which has seen little change after the conclusion of the Han dynasty around 588 A.D.

The name given to the regular script used in most forms of communication today is called 'Kai Shu'. When studying calligraphy in China it is most common to model a select group of famous calligraphers, most notably Ou-Yang-Xun and Yan-Zhen-Qing, both of the Tang Dynasty. Other common styles include cursive script 'xing shu' and grass script 'cao shu'.

The photo is a calligraphy piece by Jonathan. It is a famous saying from the Japanese tea ceremony meaning "one moment, one encounter".

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