Qiu Zhenzhong
Born in 1947 in Jiangxi Province, Qiu Zhenzhong is one of China’s most celebrated contemporary calligraphers. Holding teaching positions in some of the country’s most prestigious art institutions, including Central Academy of Fine Arts, the prolific artist is also known for his paintings and poetry collections. During his Hong Kong exhibition, “From ‘Romance of the West Chamber’ to Matisse,” he talks to Penny Zhou.
HK Magazine: How did you start practicing calligraphy?
Qiu Zhenzhong: As a kid, I’d always been sensitive to and fond of words. Teachers would compliment my handwriting, but I didn’t really do anything to further polish it till I was 15. I had just entered high school at that time and wanted to pick up something to train my patience and perseverance, so I thought calligraphy would be a good fit. Every day, I’d pick 16 Chinese characters and practice writing them in Yan style [a regular script style invented by Yan Zhenqing, a leading Chinese calligrapher from the Tang Dynasty]. For the next three years, I never stopped.
HK: Did you think of becoming a calligrapher then?
QZ: I was more interested in becoming a writer or a poet! Literature has been an important part of me, and poetry remains a passion of mine. I’ve written quite a number of poems and I feel lucky that a lot of them have been published and gotten good reviews.
Matisse - Female Nude in Studio
HK: Can you talk a little about your Hong Kong exhibition?
QZ: Traditional Chinese ink painting is perhaps the most iconic art form from China, and it has been a hot topic in China’s, and the world’s, art circle—especially in recent years. I think part of the reason why it is gaining so much attention is that China’s modern art has surpassed the phase of learning from and imitating western art, and is now looking back at the roots of our own rich cultural history for inspiration.
As an artist, I have created works from the most traditional Chinese calligraphy to modern art, and through this body of work, I’d like to directly explore the relationship between traditional and modern art styles. But of course, when you’re set to incorporate two styles, you have to start with specific targets, so on one hand, I picked Chinese wood-block print illustrations of “Romance of the West Chamber” [a famous Chinese dramatic work written by Yuan Dynasty playwright Wang Shifu]; and on the other, I chose the works of Matisse, for which I developed a fondness during a stint in Paris. I thought that if this series could achieve some success, it would prove that ink painting can form harmonious relationships with its traditional roots and western influences, and that the future for coexistence is bright. I, among many Chinese artists, believe firmly that we can create modern art that’s our own.