By the People: Creative Chinese Characters

Overview

The 2nd exhibition of "Hong Kong Art: Co-Creation" exhibition series is co-curated by the Hong Kong Museum of Art and renowned local designer Freeman Lau. Prof. Chan Yuk-keung, has been invited as the exhibition consultant. With the theme of Chinese characters, the exhibition features more than 100 exhibits in various media from the collection of Hong Kong Museum of Art, private collectors and institutions.

Chinese characters have been used for over three thousand years. With their unique structure and shape, the characters have served as an important conduit and genre for literati and calligraphers to create their works throughout history. A vast array of applications for Chinese characters have been developed in different places. All kinds of creative adaptations can be found in the works of craftsmen, artists, literati, and even calligraphers. They can also be found in the everyday lives of ordinary people, through their games, religions, festivals, and ceremonies. The exhibition presents the value of Chinese characters in our cultural lifestyle and contemporary creation through research on Chinese characters in different areas, providing visitors with multiple perspectives to explore the relationship between Chinese characters, calligraphy and art creativity.

Art Education Activities Series for "By the People: Creative Chinese Characters" Exhibition
The art education activities series is an extension programme of the "By the People: Creative Chinese Characters" exhibition, co-curated by guest curator, renowned local designer Freeman Lau and the HKMoA. HKMoA and Freeman will invite local artists and art professionals to conduct three art education activities on Chinese characters in different areas, and have their sharing with multiple perspectives with the public to explore the relationship between Chinese characters, calligraphy and art creativity.

【Talk】
Art of Chinese Characters

Date: 2023.06.17 (Saturday)
Venue: B/F, Lecture Hall, Hong Kong Museum of Art
Time: 3:30 – 5:00 pm

Chinese characters permeate our daily lives with a rich and profound history and wide-ranging cultural influence. Creations and artworks based on them are even more vibrant and diverse.

Chinese is the only written language that has survived since ancient times and is still in use today. The distinctive forms, shapes, and structures of Chinese characters have led to the birth of various unique art forms. How varied are they? What are the differences between calligraphy and the artworks it inspires?

This lecture will delve into different manifestations of Chinese characters in visual art, which includes genres such as ornamental characters, seal carving, character engraving, and calligraphy, while covering literary forms rich in visual elements like rhyming literature and calligrammes. Besides focusing on the aesthetic fundamentals of traditional calligraphy, the session will also explore the creation of contemporary calligraphic works in China, Japan, and Korea.

Speaker: Prof. Tong Kam-tang (Adjunct Associate Professor, Fine Art Department of The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

Language: Cantonese
Fee: Free admission
Quota for each session*: 100
*Limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Original photo of the exhibition key visual © Raymond Cauchetier With the kind permission of the rights holder, the photo has been modified for the purpose of the exhibition key visual

  • Date
    2022.09.092023.11.26
  • Venue
    The Lab, 5/F
  • Fee
    Free