From Bone to Paper- Celebrating Tradition and Innovation in Chinese Calligraphy

Trace the history of Chinese writing in this illustrated talk by renowned scholar Hui-Wen Lu. From 3000-year-old oracle bone inscriptions to mixed media works by some of the 21st century’s most talented contemporary artists, this presentation celebrates both tradition and innovation in writing. From past to present, explore and celebrate the talent and work of many thousands of calligraphy artists who have contributed to this spectacular artform.   

Hui-Wen Lu 盧慧紋 (Ph.D., Princeton University), Professor and Chair of the Graduate Institute of Art History at National Taiwan University, specializes in the history of calligraphy and painting in pre-modern China. She publishes in both Chinese and English, and some  of the topics she has worked on include the secularization of the wild-cursive script from Tang to Song, the relationship between ethnicity, class, and art in the Mongol-Yuan period, and antiquarianism and art in the late Qing period. Her current book project examines the first publication frenzy of calligraphy model-books in China, from the eleventh to the thirteenth century, and its results in a reformed calligraphic canon. In recent years, she has also directed her attention to contemporary calligraphy and calligraphers. She is currently leading a research project on Writing and Women Calligraphers in East Asia, which includes expansive interviews and an international exhibition.