Draft:Shih Chun-mao

Shih Chun-mao

Shih Chun-mao (Chinese:施春茂; 1942- ) is a calligrapher and ink painting artist from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He has served as Chairman of the Chinese Calligraphy Society (Taiwan), a committee member on the editorial board of calligraphy textbooks at the National Institute for Compilation and Translations, and a professor of the Department of Calligraphy and Painting Art at the Chang Jung Christian University. He was commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Republic of China (Taiwan) to write the “Chart of Standard Forms of Common National Characters.”

Life

Shih Chun-mao was born in 1942 in Tianliao Township of Kaohsiung County, Taiwan. He graduated from the Taiwan Provincial Tainan Normal School (now the National University of Tainan) in 1961. He was under the tutelage of art painters, Lee Shih-chiao and Shiy De-jinn and later received calligraphy training from Chen Tz-he. In 1979, he won First Prize in the Calligraphy Category of the Ministry of Education Literature and Arts Awards and was awarded third place in calligraphy in the 31^st and 32^nd Taiwan Provincial Fine Arts Exhibition. He has served as Chairman of the Chinese Calligraphy Society (Taiwan), a committee member on the editorial board of calligraphy textbooks at the National Institute for Compilation and Translations, and a professor of the Department of Calligraphy and Painting Art at the Chang Jung Christian University. Shih presented his first solo exhibition in 1998 at the Hongzhan Art Center (鴻展藝術中心) in Taipei, and his second solo exhibition at the National Changhua Living Art Center in 2019, followed by his third solo exhibition at the National Gallery of the National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in 2021. He initiated the establishment of the first specialized calligraphy class in Taiwan at the Dongmen Elementary School in Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, and also taught calligraphy classes held at the Office of the President (Taiwan), National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. He was commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Republic of China (Taiwan) to write the “Chart of Standard Forms of Common National Characters.”

Philosophy

Shih Chun-mao built his foundation on the Chinese calligraphy regular scrip based on the style of Ouyang Xu and was also influenced by Puru, also known as Pu Xiny, and Chiang Chao-Shen. His semi-cursive script is based on the styles of Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi, and Mi Fu, with influences from Wang Duo and Zhu Yunming (art name Zhishan). He received training from Chen Tz-he on the clerical script and the seal script from Wang Pei-Yeh, and also studied the styles of Yang Yisu, Zhao Zhiqian, and Hsu Sang-kang. Shih believes that Chinese calligraphy should be based on the essential qualities of all styles of calligraphy. He also incorporates calligraphy in his paintings, and applies the techniques and spirit of Western painting into his artworks. He asserts that literary, scientific, philosophical, and Buddhist qualities should be incorporated in the art and education of Chinese calligraphy, with the objective of forming a creative spectrum that focuses on Taoism, Buddhism, and the I Ching.