Page 11 - 2023不累不飾-任容清七十書法紀念展

Director's Preface

The Chinese culture is rich with connotations and essence, of which Chinese characters are its important
quintessence. Chinese calligraphy, an extension of Chinese characters, is not only an important cultural heritage, but also
one of the most classic form of Chinese art. Through the curved and elongated strokes and dots of the brush, the transition
between light and heavy movements of the pen, the dryness or wetness of the ink, as well as variations in the structures
and layouts, the art of calligraphy art exhibits a wide range of artistic expressions, from light and dexter to wild and
manic, then again to solemn and thick. In addition, by expressing through different scripts such as the oracle bone, bronze
inscription, seal, clerical, regular, running, and cursive, artists may exhibit the diversity of facets and aesthetic beauties
that lies within Chinese characters.
Mr. Ren Rung-Ching was an outstanding local calligraphy artist who has devoted his life to the art of calligraphy.
Born in Taichung, Mr. Ren began demonstrating his talent for calligraphy from a young age. At the age of 14, he won the
first place in the junior high school group of the calligraphy competition organized by the Chinese Calligraphy Society
and the Central Daily News. He had since devoted himself to the art of calligraphy and won numerous awards, including
the Excellence Award in the calligraphy category at the Provincial Art Exhibition, the Superintendent of Education Award,
the Provincial Government Award, and the "Artistic Creation Award" of the 53rd Chinese Literary Awards by the Chinese
Writers' and Artists' Association. His artworks are under the collections of the National Museum of History and the
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. He had been appointed as a judge for various major art exhibitions and awards in
Taiwan, thus highly recognized for his talent. In addition, Mr. Ren had been a longtime calligraphy teacher at the Taichung
City Dadun Cultural Center, nurturing countless talents and making significant contributions to the promotion and
education of calligraphy art.
Calligraphy was Mr. Ren's life-long passion. His calligraphic learning was founded from years of research in ancient
stele inscriptions and masterpieces by renowned artists, and his creations upheld the authenticity of the classical spirit
in traditional calligraphy art. He was well-versed in the five major calligraphic scripts of seal, clerical, cursive, running,
and regular, faithfully protraying the artistic essence of classic calligraphy with each stroke. His writing stands tall with
elegance in rich layers of ink, its lingering charm profound and long-lasting. From joint screens and couplets to singles
and smaller pieces, every artwork is a masterpiece worth savoring delicately.
Art is the product of human aesthetic education, and culture is the cornerstones to a country. Mr. Ren Rung-Ching
had been devoted to creating, promoting, and educating the art of calligraphy throughout his life, hoping for more people
to understand, learn, and develop a love for calligraphy. He had cultivated, advanced, and sowed the seeds of art and
culture with great success. To honor Mr. Ren's contributions to art and culture, the Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau
has meticulously planned and held the Memorial Calligraphy Exhibition of Ren Rung-Ching's 70th Anniversary. The
Exhibition will be held at the Dadun Cultural Center to commemorate the many years Mr. Ren taught there. From the vast
number of brilliant artworks that are representative of Mr. Ren's life in art, a special selection of about 60 pieces will be
showcased, covering seal, clerical, cursive, running, and regular scripts. We hope that through this Exhibition, the people
of Taichung City may rediscover and pay homage to this admirable calligraphy master.

Chen Chi-Chun
Director, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Taichung City

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