Eclectic master artisan enlivens literary festival. Next up? Donkeys
Print Edition
AT the recent Minhang arm of the Shanghai Book Fair, Wu Yiren was a standout.
The 74-year-old Zhuanqiao native is one of China’s most renowned seal cutters, calligraphers and painters. He published more than 30 books on seal cutting and Chinese characters. He was invited to sign books for readers at the fair.
This was the first time the fair had a Minhang branch. In previous years, Wu and others attended the main event at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.
“As a Minhang native, I’m happy to see that readers here love my works,” said Wu. “It was such a great pleasure to discuss seal cutting with young people. I was surprised that the art form was so popular in my hometown.”
Many of the readers asked him to sign the book “Fifty Lessons on Seal Cutting.” First published in the late 1970s, the fifth and latest edition was published in 2000. In the book, Wu tells readers how to start out in seal cutting, and he laces the lessons with stories about the history and culture of the art.
Even for those who don’t particularly want to try out the art, the book is entertaining to read.
“It was after the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) that the art form started to become popular again,” Wu said. “People wanted to learn seal cutting, but they didn’t have any guidebooks. That’s why I wrote the book initially.”
His book is still considered a definitive work in that field. Readers at the book fair asked Wu for advice and suggestions.
If “Fifty Lessons on Seal Cutting” is for beginners, “On Seal Cutting” (2009) was the epitome of Wu’s research. He spent a whole decade collecting information and doing the writing. The book gives a detailed description of different seal cutting styles, tracing them back through dynasties. It also gives information on advanced skills in the art form.
Wu said he never believed that these two books represent his whole career. He said he has never strived to be “at the top,” but rather to be “unique.”
Seal cutting can never be separated from calligraphy, and most seal cutters find inspiration in renowned ancient calligraphers, such as Liu Gongquan (778-865 AD) and Yan Zhenqing (709-785 AD). Wu went beyond the usual sources in his research.
“There are endless treasures in ancient traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, army provision records and manuscripts transcribed by anonymous calligraphers,” said Wu. “Their handwriting is free of so-called ‘famous styles.’ You could feel the writers’ free minds and vitality through their handwriting.”
Like many artists, Wu began developing his talent at a young age. He said he was never good at mathematics, physics or chemistry in school, but he showed great flair for art. As a child, he balked at assignments to “copy works” in art classes.
“I often asked my teacher, ‘Can’t I just draw my own thing?’” he said. “And, fortunately, the teacher was very open minded and agreed.”
Later Wu gave up traditional schooling and started to look for mentors. Three calligraphy and seal cutting masters agreed to become his teacher. However, in the end, he abandoned the style of each of them.
“It is bad for people to burn their bridges, but for artists, I think it’s imperative,” said Wu. “I couldn’t be more grateful to my mentors, but I had to come up with something of my own.”
Although Wu is now regarded a “master” in seal cutting, it’s not a moniker he bandies about. He said he is always learning.
“I’m not a master,” he said. “Wu Changshuo (1844-1927) was a master. Qi Baishi (1864-1957) was a master. But I am not. I am still young and there is so much more to learn.”
His recent study focused on a cliff painting. He was fascinated by its raw art.
“It is so rough, but it is also so natural,” he said. “It was the very beginning of human arts. Isn’t it the most beautiful thing? I’m planning to write a new book entitled ‘Cliff Painting and Me.’”
What next? Well, donkeys, as it turns out. Wu once cut a seal with the inscription: “lu gong cong ming,” which means “Mr Donkey is Intelligent.” He has spent time in Xinjiang, Shaanxi and Shandong, tracking down wild donkeys to observe their behavior.
“Donkeys are intelligent, and it is a shame people think they are dumb,” Wu said. “Someday, I’ll write a book entitled ‘Donkeys and Me.’”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
