Breaking the Grid
To destroy the grid, you must first master it. Experimental calligraphy is not about lack of skill; it is about liberation. Building on my academic training in traditional scripts, this portfolio explores what happens when meaning is stripped away. What remains is pure structure, rhythm, and the raw energy of the ink. It is a shift from reading a text to feeling a visual force.
1. Asemic Writing
Writing Without Words
Asemic writing is a wordless open semantic form of writing. The “text” has no specific content. It mimics the gesture and flow of traditional calligraphy but refuses to be read. By removing the semantic meaning, the viewer is forced to engage directly with the emotion of the stroke. It is a universal language that transcends barriers—pure visual poetry.
2. The Happy Accident
Controlled Chaos in Asemic Writing
In traditional calligraphy, a splatter might be considered a mistake. In my experimental work, I embrace the “Happy Accident.” Whether it is ink bleeding uncontrollably on wet paper or the brush skipping across a rough surface (Feibai), these imperfections are where the life of the artwork resides. It is the Wabi-sabi of the brush.
3. Beyond the Brush: Materiality
New Textures in Experimental Calligraphy
Tradition dictates ink on Xuan paper. I experiment with acrylics, oil sticks, and synthetic papers (like Yupo) to create textures that the old masters could never achieve. The resistance of the material forces the hand to move differently, creating new, unexpected rhythms.
Why Deconstruction Matters
Experimental calligraphy is the bridge between Eastern tradition and Western Abstract Expressionism. Artists like Franz Kline or Robert Motherwell were inspired by the look of calligraphy and asemic writing. My approach comes from the other side: I start from the calligraphic core and push it towards abstraction until the character dissolves. It is not about painting a picture; it is about capturing the Qi (energy) in its rawest form.