WKU News

Professor Hua Wang’s Chinese Calligraphy class was recently given an opportunity to display their work in a first-of-its-kind exhibition. While the opportunity to display work in the exhibition is typically reserved for the Chinese majors, the exhibition opened its doors to Chinese 208 students as well. The exhibition will be held every semester and provides students the opportunity to examine their interest in the art form and show their progress in learning calligraphy.

Students in Professor Wang’s calligraphy class practiced extensively and received one-on-one instruction from Professor Wang herself.  “I have led them to do a lot of hands-on practice in class about how to write basic Chinese character strokes and guide them to examine the beauty of the model calligraphy work. I teach them to focus on the balance the uniformity of their work.”

Students first practiced with water and cloth before moving on to ink and rice paper, before finally using authentic Chinese calligraphy paper, ink and calligraphy seals to complete their artwork. Professor Wang prepared her students for the event not only by teaching them the artistry and beauty of calligraphy, but also by performing lectures on calligraphy, the Chinese calendar, and on Chinese names. She individually assigned each student a Chinese equivalent to their name that she then taught them to write, giving each student the ability to sign their work. Each student was given this opportunity to successfully create beautiful calligraphy, establishing a sense of achievement throughout the class. The goal of the exhibition itself is not only to give her students the audience they deserve, but to draw in other students interested in the beauty of Chinese calligraphy and tradition.

 “It's a major art form in Chinese culture,” stated Professor Wang, “which gives people the chance to meditate and appreciate the beauty of black and white. Picasso once expressed his passion for black and white. He said that had he been born Chinese he would have been a calligrapher.”

Professor Wang’s CHIN 208: Chinese Calligraphy class will be offered in the upcoming spring 2020 semester as an entry-level course for students interested in the beauty of Chinese calligraphy. The course features hands-on instruction from guest artists from Hebei Normal University, who demonstrate traditional Chinese brush painting.

The Chinese program is also offering Elementary Chinese, and a foundation course in the colonnade program entitled Introduction to Literature in Translation. The MLING200 Introduction to Literature in Translation course can function as an ENGL 200 equivalent and studies Chinese literature Chinese masterpieces of poems, songs, films, opera, and calligraphy and brush paintings. For more information on the Chinese Program or courses available in the upcoming semester, contact Dr. Ke Peng at ke.peng@wku.edu