Page 14 - 2023不累不飾-任容清七十書法紀念展

Mr. Ren Rung-Ching, in the Eyes of His Students

Being able to get to know and become a student of Mr. Ren Rung- content covered in each class, there was only a limited time for personal
Ching is something that every student in our calligraphy class is truly practices, sadly, which led to a feeling of not learning or progressing as fast
grateful for. as desired. Some dedicated classmates would do extra practices at home
Each calligraphy class with Mr. Ren started with review and and show their works to the teacher after class. The teacher would always
assessment of our assignments. We would gather around a large table, patiently offer guidance for each and every one of his students.
watching him meticulously correct piece by piece with a red pen. The better Once everyone became familiar with one another, some would start
our writing, the more circles he would draw. If there were incorrect parts, brewing tea during classes and invite others for a taste. Others would bring
Mr. Ren would demonstrate the correct ways next to our writings. Even snacks to share, filling the classroom with laughter and joy. Looking back,
if our writings were less than perfect, he would simply say, "how lovely." every Friday evening in calligraphy class was the time of the week when
When it came to our calligraphy assignments, Mr. Ren always showered us we laughed the most.
with encouragement and praise, without uttering a word of criticism. This My acquaintance with Mr. Ren began from our visits to the Yixin
inspired all of us to strive enthusiastically, and our progress was soon quite Chinese medicine clinic . While waiting for our appointments, we would
noticeable. often sit together and engage in casual conversations. In 2014, when my
After correcting our assignments, Mr. Ren would hand out pre- husband and I were approaching the age of retirement, Dr. Zhang Qi-
printed lecture notes and begin to explain the content we would be writing Ren made a request to Mr. Ren, and gifted us with a piece as a retirement
for the day. Sometimes, he would introduce the life and calligraphy works memento. This precious gift became the catalyst for my determination in
of renowned calligraphy artists, while other times he would compare the studying calligraphy. As I was struggling to find a teacher, a serendipitous
writing techniques of different calligraphers. When we were practicing encounter occurred in early 2016. While strolling along the green pathway
cursive scripts, he provided us with fundamental knowledge on the in front of our house, we coincidentally crossed paths with Mr. Ren. My
script, explaining the strokes, structures, and arrangements of characters. husband inquired if he was offering classes at home, and if he would be
The content was incredibly rich, and Mr. Ren's analytical prowess was willing to accept me as his student, despite my age. Mr. Ren suggested
truly exceptional. He generously shared his wealth of knowledge and that I sign up for his calligraphy classes at the Cultural Center online,
insights, enriching our understanding of calligraphy. I was especially coinciding with the upcoming registration deadline. From the spring
impressed by his explanations of the "relationship between two lines," as in semester of 2016, therefore, I was fortunate enough to become Mr. Ren's
"converging," "parallels," and "opposites." It was under his guidance that I student in the arts and culture workshop program at the Dadun Cultural
first grasped the importance of "posture variations" and "spatial density" of Center. With the exception of one semester, when my husband fell critically
the characters in calligraphy. ill and I was unable to attend classes, my journey with Mr. Ren continued
Next came the most exciting part, which was the "demonstration" through ten semesters, until his passing in the spring of 2021. During these
period. Before this segment began, Assistant Teacher Wang Kuo-Xun years, I have learnt and explored various calligraphy styles, including
would have prepared the ink, and we would gather around the table to bamboo slips from the Han dynasty, cursive scripts, seal scripts, clerical
watch the teacher in action. The teacher would have already written a piece scripts, and Wei stele scripts, all under the guidance of Mr. Ren, enriching
at home and displayed it on the blackboard, but the live demonstration my retirement life.
allowed us to see how to position the brush on the paper and initiate In the past, my husband would always drop me off and pick me up for
each stroke, where to pause, how to maneuver the brushstrokes, where to class. When I learnt that Mr. Ren commuted to and from class by bicycle,
create curves, how to manage the spacing, and how to end each stroke. I I invited him to join us in our car. This gave us the opportunities to have
was always mesmerized by each demonstration, but the teacher remained conversations and seek advice during our car rides. Every time we entered
modest and insisted that we practice by looking at the copybooks rather the Cultural Center, Mr. Ren would first greet the staff at the counter and
than his own writing. He often said phrases like "write large characters," then eagerly explore any ongoing exhibitions. His enthusiasm for all types
"do not use pre-made ink, grind the ink yourself," "the brush should move of exhibitions was contagious and always drew me in. Near the end of
along while pausing occasionally," "when writing on the right side, pay 2018, my husband passed away. I lost both my driver and the motivation to
attention to the left side," and "do not throw away old brushes; mine are enroll in the spring semester of 2019. One day, out of the blue, I received
very old but still obedient." During the demonstrations, Assistant Teacher a phone call from Mr. Ren, saying that a fellow student had withdrawn
Li Mei-Xue would be standing on the side and recording videos. After from the class, and asked if I would like to take the available spot. As I
the classes, I would receive the recordings and teaching materials from was hesitant, Mr. Ren assured me he had already arranged for another
her through our LINE group, including the teacher's demonstrations. The classmate to provide transportation for the two of us. So, I had the privilege
teacher's artworks were also posted on the blackboard during class for of continuing my studies under Mr. Ren’s guidance and endured through
reference. Before the end of class, a few of us would get the opportunity to those painful times. Mr. Ren's thoughtfulness and care have left a lasting
borrow one of the works home for further reference, with the priority given impression on me. After he passed away, the once-perfect calligraphy
to new students. Thanks to the information shared in the group chat, even class became a relic of the past, and I struggled to find another teacher as
if we were abroad or on leave, we could still access the teaching materials wonderful as him. He lives on in the hearts of every student, nevertheless,
and demonstrations as usual. and his artistic legacy will remain immortal!
The final segment of the class was dedicated to individual practices,
during which the teacher would walk around, and corrected mistakes as
needed. I remembered during my first class, when I poured too much water
onto the ink stone and started grinding the ink, the teacher advised me Li Chi-Mei
to "grind the ink with one drop of water at a time." Given the wealth of Professor Emeritus of National Chung Hsing University

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