Ways of Writing
Stephanie Lin
Chinese, the written language, has over 50,000 characters and is well known for its complexity and hieroglyphic features. It has remained a prominent status in East Asian languages. Over thousands of years, traditional Chinese characters have evolved from hieroglyphic and cuneiform writing. Through the last century, they were condensed into simplified Chinese and is currently practiced in mainland China. From ancient to modern, Chinese characters leave a profound mark on human culture.
In this exhibition, Ways of Writing, I have designed a series of artifacts that explores the characters as an art form using a combination of visual expression and semantics interpretation. The exhibition is divided into four sections in chronological order to examine how Chinese characters have progressed from collections of calligraphy relics to contemporary calligraphy art. Old-fashioned and rigid are the common impressions of Chinese calligraphy. Through this exhibition, my intention is to introduce this evocative modus operandi to the rising generation and transfigure their stereotypes.
From hieroglyphics to traditional and to the now simplified Chinese, we march towards simplicity and functionality but lose the richness of its artistic visual form. In a ridiculously impatient world, Ways of Writing is an appreciation to an ancient yet exquisite system of writing could evokes patience and a thrill of joy.