Plum Blossoms gallery is pleased to present Up Down Left Right: Modern Perception in Chinese Calligraphy. Throughout Chinese history, the art of writing has played an intricate part in the high literati society. Beginning with the earliest development of Chinese script, many writing styles have reflected individual calligrapher's expression, and deep social concerns.

There are some fifty thousand characters in use in the written Chinese language. Every character is built up with variations of composition using eight basic strokes; and is formed in three simple shapes, the circle, the triangle and the square. While staying within this fundamental structure but by stretching and breaking the old rules artists through the ages have created new styles of their own. This process has become the alternate task of every generation.

Up Down Left Right: Modern Perception in Chinese Calligraphy presents a select group of contemporary Chinese artists and their recent practice in calligraphy concentrating on their revisions of the tradition. Using individual approaches in many unique directions, a new dialogue between the past and present reflecting their new experiences within their current social contexts are explored and examined.

The exhibition is curated by George Chang, an artist originally from Hangzhou, China. He is currently a gallerist and curator at Plum Blossoms Gallery.

Artists include LIU DAN, XU XI, WEI DONG, CHUA EK KAY, CAI HENG, QIN FENG,
HONG ZHU AN, GEORGE CHANG and FUNG MING CHIP.