Page 13 - 2023不累不飾-任容清七十書法紀念展

Mr. Ren Rung-Ching, as I Knew Him:

The Calligrapher with the Trifecta of Book Collections, Teachings, and Creativity

It was the summer of 1971, at a calligraphy gathering in Taichung, Around the publication of each issue of The Zebra Collection, the
where I met Mr. Ren for the first time. Calligraphy Society would hold themed joint exhibition to showcase
I had a vague impression of him riding a dated bicycle and dressed in everyone's learning achievements. In addition to publications and regular
a plain white shirt, his image simple and unadorned. My fellow classmate, exhibitions, Society members visited calligraphy artists in various parts
Lin Sheng-Zhong, told me that Mr. Ren's calligraphy was rooted in Mr. of Taiwan, and attended large-scale exhibitions or seminars, such as
Chu Jiu-Ying of Changsha, also known as the Master of the Yen-style exhibitions of renowned masters Yu You-Ren, Tsao Chiu-Pu, and Chen
calligraphy. He was then mentored by Mr. Chen Qi-Chuan, thus cementing Ding-Chi, all of which led by Mr. Ren. He, along with several members,
solid foundations in the Yen-style calligraphy and the clerical script. also inherited the Chinese Hong Dao Calligraphy Organization passed
In the summer of 1988, I unexpectedly bumped into Mr. Ren again at down from his teacher Mr. Chen Qi-Chuan, organizing workshop activities,
the "Sheau Shu Jai (Petit Study)" on Chongqing South Road in Taipei, an traveling abroad to teach students calligraphy at Hanshan Normal
arts and crafts store that specialized in selling copybooks for calligraphy University in Guangdong, and many more. Mr. Ren had devoted himself
from China. to promoting calligraphy culture tirelessly and with great dedication till
He humbly asked how one would discern a quality version of stele deathbed.
inscription rubbings. I was surprised to discover how particular he was Mr. Ren and I had both worked on the restoration of ancient stele
about versions and impressed by his determination to travel such a long inscriptions. While guiding students in copying the inscriptions, we found
distance from Taichung just to find a satisfactory copybook. We met several problems such as illegible characters and distracting marble patterns on the
times more at the same location thereafter, and I learnt that in order to steles. Not knowing the correct lines and structures, students would lose
purchase these fine selections, he would rather grab a cheap meal of plain their patience in learning. For this reason, we both felt obligated to invest
noodles in small alleys near the bookstore, spending most of his money on in restoration work. Restoration may seem simple, but it is actually very
books. Often on his return trip, he would only have enough money left for complex. To decipher the damaged characters, we had to compare various
transportation. Upon arriving at Taichung station, he would carry the heavy versions of the same inscription and analyze the entire inscription while
books and travel home on foot, his heart loaded with great satisfaction. consolidating its radicals. By adhering to the principle of restoring ancient
From 1991 to 2011, there was a wholesaler of books from China artifacts to their original form, our aim was to reveal the true essence
named Mr. Guo, who ran his business on Huanhe South Road in Sanchong. of the original inscriptions. Five types of inscriptions had been restored
During that time, Mr. Ren would often telephone me to discuss his “book between Mr. Ren and I, all of which were well received by our peers. We
list,” before taking the very first northbound bus from Taichung early next unanimously believed that although good inscriptions are cultural treasures,
morning, without even stopping for breakfast! This kind of drive and thirst they must be made into easily understandable teaching materials for
for knowledge in search of quality content was something that any other beginners. We also did not withhold knowledge from each other; rather, we
calligraphy artist could only hope to have. When Mr. Ren moved to a new would often exchange materials and ideas. As I gaze upon the books gifted
residence in 2006, he had such a vast collection of books that it took two by Mr. Ren in the small hours of the morning, it felt like old friends sitting
completely loaded trucks to transport them. The sheer manifold amount together, having heartfelt conversations..., and such thoughts would always
was truly an impressive feat beyond the description of words. be followed by the feeling of having a lump in my throat.
Mr. Ren had always had a passion for calligraphy since childhood. Unbeknownst to us, the 2013 solo exhibition held at the Mingzong
During his youth, he frequently participated in domestic calligraphy Calligraphy and Art Gallery in Kaohsiung City during Mr. Ren's 60th
competitions to inspire and motivate himself. In 1983, he was honored birthday celebration would, in fact, turn out to be his last exhibition. The
with the Superintendent of Education Award in the Calligraphy Category artworks exhibited were written using the precious old ink he had collected
at the 37th Provincial Art Exhibition. Then, in 1985, he outdid himself by for many years, and the beauty that shone through the layers of ink color
winning the Provincial Government Award, placing first in the Calligraphy were incomparable to that of ordinary ink. With Mr. Ren’s well-established
Category of the 39th Provincial Art Exhibition. At the time, the Provincial foundations in traditional training, his works naturally demonstrated an
Art Exhibitions were considered the highest achievement in all calligraphy unadorned elegance. As the renowned words of Qing dynasty literati Yang
competitions, demonstrating that Mr. Ren's outstanding calligraphy skills Xie, “old books can never become tiresome after hundreds of reads, and
had already been widely recognized. the ancient inkstones with slight concaves can gather much ink” perfectly
From 1983, Mr. Ren began running his private calligraphy school, demonstrated his academic spirit. We all looked forward to Mr. Ren
teaching students the art of calligraphy. After his retirement from the Ret- holding another exhibition at the age of 70, but alas, the heavens took away
Ser Engineering Agency in 1995, he felt that he needed to provide his this talented individual, and our wished would never be fulfilled.
students with more beyond just technique, as the education was lacking Two years since the passing of Mr. Ren, the Taichung City Dadun
in the theories of calligraphy. With this idea in mind, he organized (the Cultural Center organized this art exhibition to acknowledge and honor
Taichung City Yueyang Tower Calligraphy Society) and published the achievements of his vocation in calligraphy throughout his lifetime.
the student-oriented journal “The Zebra Collection (Banma Ji).” The My lack of eloquence could only allow me to come up with these random
publication provided a platform for students akin to that of a scholarly paragraphs to express the endless reminiscence I hold for my dear friend.
journal, and it was a pioneering project unique to the Taiwanese calligraphy
community, with the content almost equivalent to masters’ theses. It was no
wonder that numerous masters and doctors emerged from under Mr. Ren's
Written by Heng Tsung-Ming in Jiusijia Art Studio
guidance.

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