Fung Siu-wah
Fung Siu-wah is the calligrapher behind so many Chinese signs and posters that even he can’t keep track of his past work. From Hong Kong movie posters to market signs in New York’s Chinatown, Fung is the go-to artist for Chinese signage. He talks to Ying Lo about his work.
HK Magazine: How did you get started in Chinese calligraphy?
Fung Siu-wah: I started at a young age trying to sell my calligraphy as a street vendor in Mong Kok. Because I was so young, nobody believed that the calligraphy was mine. They thought I was just trying to make money. So I played along with it and wouldn’t produce artwork unless I had an order from a customer. People would challenge the fact that I was a calligrapher and would want me to prove it. That’s when I would write something for them. I was at the intersection of Portland and Shandong Streets, where a lot of people would pass by. Actor Sammo Hung passed me once, liked my work, and asked me to [work on] some movie posters.
HK: What are some movie posters that you’ve worked on?
FSW: Poon Man-kit’s “To Be Number One,” some of Stephen Chow’s posters like “God of Cookery” and “King of Beggars,” and most of Wong Kar-wai’s films including “2046” and his latest “The Grandmasters.” Just recently I worked on Pang Ho-cheung’s “Vulgaria.”
HK: Are you able to distinguish between typed and written Chinese in posters and signs?
FSW: In Chinese calligraphy, the flow and relationship from one character to another in a text is something that makes it such a special art. With typography, characters are designed independently and then pieced together to create sentences. Chinese typography is mainly used as a means of communication, whereas calligraphy functions more as an illustrative art form to be appreciated. As of now, I’m not worried about typography replacing calligraphy, but I’m not sure what future technology may hold.
HK: What do you like to do in your spare time?
FSW: To be honest, I do calligraphy most of the time. I also like to listen to music. Soothing music, though, none of that fast-paced hip-hop stuff. I can’t really get any writing done if I listen to that. Chess is also very fun, too. Calligraphy requires a lot of concentration. Clear and practical thinking is needed to perfect the skill.
HK: Do you believe that a person’s handwriting can reveal something about their personality?
FSW: Absolutely. Calligraphers carry the ability to paint their emotions and frame of mind when writing a text—this can be seen in the way they visually play with stroke length, pressure, speed and size of running characters in a text. You can still get a sense of Wang Xizhi’s [a famous Chinese calligrapher from the Jin Dynasty] emotions through the text he wrote during the famous poetry gatherings at the Orchid Pavilion in year 353. These gatherings were a lot of fun: scholars got together, listened to music, played drinking games and created what is now regarded as one of the most beautifully written poems. The happiness and fun of these occasions are preserved in the free-spirited rhythm and brushstrokes of the text.
HK: Are you worried that calligraphy is a dying art?
FSW: Calligraphy was once used as a practical means of communication, but it has long surpassed this purpose and transformed into an art form. Be it dancing, illustration or another form of creative expression—we will always need art in our lives.