Yang Guangxin
Photo courtesy of Yang Guangxin
“People’s Park” calligraphy by Yang Guangxin
“Calligraphy is poetry without the words, painting without the color. Developed alongside the Chinese written language, it has practical meaning and artistic value.” —Yang Guangxin, calligrapher
Calligraphy—the art of writing—is valued for its beauty and as a means of self-cultivation. In China, calligraphy was historically regarded as a necessary skill for scholar officials; today it is incorporated into private and public celebrations, practiced as recreation, and displayed in homes and temples. Calligraphy is taught through associations, master-apprentice instruction, and in schools and supported by other craft traditions, including brush making, inkstone carving, and papermaking.
FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS
Yang Guangxin 杨广馨 is a calligrapher and director of the Art Center at the Beijing Institute of Education Sciences. He is currently a member of the council of the China Calligraphers’ Association and vice chairman of the Beijing Calligraphers’ Association. He edited the Art and Calligraphy Textbook for Beijing Elementary and Middle Schools and is the author of General Knowledge of Calligraphy, as well as many calligraphy copybooks.
From the Festival
Onlookers watch Yang Guangxin demonstrate the principles behind Chinese calligraphy.
Photo by Bea Ugolini, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Yang Guangxin leads a calligraphy demonstration.
Photo by Walter Larrimore, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Yang Guangxin demonstrates the basic components of Chinese characters.
Photo by Bea Ugolini, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Yang Guangxin writes a calligraphic Chinese poem using ink and brush.
Photo by Walter Larrimore, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Close-up of Yang Guangxin's calligraphy.
Photo by Maggie Pelta-Pauls, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
