Wen Wu Temple
Chao-hsun Wu, born in Lukang Changhua, is from a literati family that is particularly good at calligraphy. The Wu family has passed down their ancestors’ passion for calligraphy and art. Therefore, since his childhood, Chao-hsun Wu was taught by his father to learn to write calligraphy. During his study in elementary school, he was instructed by Mr. Kui-jung Chen, who helped lay foundation for his calligraphy writing. He won many prizes in exhibitions, such as Huanxi Arts Exhibition, Central Taiwan Arts Exhibition, and Taiwan Arts Exhibition. He served as Chairman of Changhua County Calligraphy Society and President of Bangang Calligraphy Society. In 2006, he took over the Chairman of Changhua Lukang Poetry, Literature, and Painting Society.
A1: When you write on paper, the ink will be absorbed by paper. However, a wall is vertical, so the ink will flow down, causing black lines on the wall. Therefore, it's much more difficult to write on walls.
Interview with Mr. Chao-hsun Wu Source: shot by this team
A2: Writing calligraphy involves strength, size, and speed. So the key is to control a brush. When you push a brush harder, the strokes become heavier. Because the contact surface and resistance are stronger, the speed is more slowly. When you lift a brush, the strokes become lighter. Because the contact surface and resistance are weaker, the speed has to be faster. Your strength of pushing and lifting a brush creates contract effects and endless changes of lines. Moreover, the ink has to be thicker so that it will not flow down during writing. Besides, the wall is tall, so you have to use scaffold to write on a wall.
Osmanthus Lane Art Village- Calligraphy Practice on Marvel Slab in Chao-hsun Wu's Calligraphy Classroom Source: shot by this team
Calligraphy Work Written on the wall Source: shot by this team
Calligraphy Work Written on the Wall Source: shot by this team
A3: I’ve always intended to combine calligraphy with modern products, namely, culturally creative products. This year, we’ve combined calligraphy with bicycle industry. I wrote “Seeing the World” on speed bike, and wrote “Romantic Heaven and Earth” on general bike. The [change in ink color] was applied to the writing, and the coordination between screen design and calligraphy writing creates an atmosphere of oriental culture.
Combining Calligraphy with Modern Products Source: shot by this team
Combining Calligraphy with Bicycle Industry Source: shot by this team
Calligraphy Work Gift from Mr. wu Source: shot by this team
Afterthoughts: Mr. wu is not only a calligraphy master, but also a tea-making expert. During the interview, Mr. wu invited us to drink some tea. In the interview, we felt that Mr. wu is a gentle and elegant scholar. His calligraphy works also reflect his style as a calligraphy master with well-controlled strength and gentleness. In the end of the interview, Mr. wu sent the calligraphy work [Cultural Cradle-Lukang Wen Wu Temple], the theme of Cyberfair, to us as a gift.