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Born in 1953, Lian Yi is famous calligrapher from Tianjin. He has been passionate about calligraphy since he was a child, and he used to study calligraphy with famous calligraphers like Yang Lu’an and Li Henian and also with the seal cutting artist Lan Yun. He works very hard, practicing nearly everyday, and his works have been published in newspapers and have earned several national and international awards.
When did you start doing calligraphy?I’ve liked calligraphy ever since I was a child. However, I wasn’t able to find a famous teacher to train me until the 1980’s when I was already in my thirties. Now I consider it to be my career.
What is so attractive about calligraphy?Calligraphy is an art that involves many elements of Chinese culture, and it has a rich historical background. I had to read a lot of books to learn about the art. Besides, calligraphy is the quintessence of Chinese art. Every Chinese person should know something about it.
I heard that calligraphy can reflect one’s mood. Can your mood affect your writing?I don’t paint calligraphy when I’m not in the mood to do it. Instead, I read books or write articles.
Does every calligrapher have his or her own style?Yes. A calligrapher studies and imitates all different kinds of scripts and styles and then, later, forms his own style. Simple imitation can never make a calligrapher.
What do you feel about simplified Chinese characters?Simplified characters are easy to recognize and more convenient to use, but calligraphy is an art which only uses the original form. It cannot use simplified characters for aesthetic reasons. Simplified Chinese can only be used in modern communication.
Any tips for readers who want to practice calligraphy?You will progress more quickly if you start with li shu (the official script of the Han Dynasty), because it is a simple script. Interest is also very important. If you like a particular script, you can practice that one instead. Another thing is that you should stick to it. Your hand will get sore at the beginning when you practice holding the brush, but you can’t give up. The soreness will gradually pass. You can only write beautiful characters if you practice every day.
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