Calligraphy is an important aspect of Qi Baishi's artistic achievementS, BaiShi carefully nurtured "poem, book, painting, print" into his art garden. we selected 50 pieces of calligraphy works from Beijing Fine Art Academy collection of Qi Baishi, supplemented with more than 40 pieces of paintings. Through that, we shall explore Baishi’s pursuit of exploration in the area of calligraphy. It shows the elderly to explore in the aspect of calligraphy. This exhibition is part of the Qi Baishi serves exhibition which hold and presented at Beijing Fine Art Academy.

 

        The works of Qi Baishi calligraphy in Beijing Fine Art Academy collection includes Qi Baishi’s middle age to later period with different style, composed poetic couplet, poems, diaries, question paper and so on. He’s various life experiences also made impact on his calligraphy work, especially during his late period.Also some of the selected works are well known historically, such as Geng Chen (1940) lunar January posted in the home of confession, Qi Baishi refused to become innocent puppet government contacts and integrity in the Japanese occupied period. The selected works of calligraphies and paintings interpreted together in order to understand the development of research on Qi Baishi and his later life period achievements in calligraphy art.

 

        Qi Baishi recalled: He first learned the Guange style of calligraphy, and later learned the Shao Tang Hu style. He met Hu Qinyuan, Chen Shaofan two teachers whom followed the late Qing Dynasty Hunan calligraphers’ representative. 

 

        Qi Baishi then listen to Fan Fanshan’s advice, studied Yangzhou painter Jin Nong (Dong Xin)’s style which came from Qing Dynasty.

 

        This learning process has its psychological factors: early folk painter brought Qi Baishi into the literati culture, he needs to find a foothold in cultural aspect. He’s decision of learning from He Shaoji and Jin Dongxin is because it is easier to get at the local acknowledgment.

 

         He imitated He Shaoji font for ten years or more; his middle age dedicated to two aspects which are painting and calligraphy. He arrived Beijing during the age of 41 and met Li Junan, he 

 

         recommended Qi to learn Kui Bei and practice the writing of “Cuan Long Yan Bei”. You can find the influence from both styles in Qi’s calligraphy. Eventually Qi learn Li Yong and he put lots of effect in to “Yun Mo Jiang Jun Bei”.

 

         He talked about his calligraphy career with Hu Peiheng: Qi’s calligraphy is inspired by Li Beihai, He Shaoji, Jing Dongxin, Zheng Banqiao and “Tian Fa Shen Qian Bei” the most. At the same time,Wu Changshou, artist from the same era with Qi, also influence his calligraphy style. After “Shuai Nian Bian Fa”, Qi’s created his mature styles of calligraphy and painting, eventually created the well-known Qi style. Until his 80 years old, this reached his epic period in his art career. 

 

         Qi Baishi calligraphy art achievements are mainly in two aspects of calligraphy, cursive and seal. Cursive used for painting sequence or title, subject consciousness and so on, stretch atmosphere, and the image contrast. And free writing used in diaries, notes and other most temperament.

 

         His seal is mainly derived to make stamps. His style seems like the combination of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wei and Jin Dynasties. His seal script font is not a formal small seal script, nor is traced back to the bronze inscription on oracle bones, but express heroic, Fang Yi, the freedom to create interest in the spirit of zhuanli interphase in calligraphy.

 

         "I intended to create my calligraphy without rules" he stated, that is he stressed keep his own calligraphy creation, the original meaning is not trace the previous, but it doesn’t mean that his work is “without style”.Lang Shaojun commented: "Qi Baishi calligraphy has painterly meanings, is a major feature of the calligraphy of Qi Baishi" ("Qi Baishi's world").

 

         Calligraphy with artistic genre, paintings with calligraphy style, Qi Baishi’s work cooperate with each painting and calligraphy formed a complete artistic creation and aesthetic characteristics.Qi Baishi's calligraphy works’ layouts are carefully designed in the open and aboveboard, skewed and colorful genre. 

 

         Sometimes a clerical error or missing words appears, he will mark it at the end of the paper, never cheat. The 82 year old Wang Anshi poetry book, mistakenly "river" word wrong, especially noted in the preface: "the word 'water' seal into 'river' word, for your laugh."

 

          Qi Baishi in writing, combined woodworking skills and Kun knife cutting jade culture into his brushstroke, bold and magnificent, created an extraordinary effort. So people always say that when he write the word "Shou (long-living)" character, it seems like the bottom (the hook) of the character can be hung up a mountain.

 

          Many painting signature of Qi Baishi are closely linked with the writing contents, subject appearance. For example, at the age of 61 he wrote a script, which is about his early family experiences and his old grandmother, is a wonderful touching essay, he often borrowed painting postscript chronicle lyrical, long phrases, filled with true emotion and natural writings, make the audience closer with the mind of the author/artist profoundly.

 

          the audience closer with the mind of the author/artist profoundly.