Art supplement:

Chinese calligraphy

By: Hien Phuong Vu

Contents

Part 1: Calligraphy on Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year)

1. Blessings 2. Logetivity 3. StudyPart 2: Calligraphy in literature An excerpt of Mãn Giác zenmaster’s poem:

“When Having Diseases, I Tell Everybody”Part 3: Other A tribute to my junior high school

Part 1: Calligraphy on Tet

Fu ( 福 ) : Blessings

• The character is among the good luck triple symbols: Fu-Lu-Shou and the the most favored and used good luck symbol.

• Duration: 10 minutes

Medium: calligraphic liquid ink, wolf hairbrush, red Xuan paper

Shou ( 壽 ): Longetivity

• The character is also among the good luck triple symbols: Fu-Lu-Shou. It is most given to the elders in the family to express gratitude to them.

• Duration: 10 minutes

Medium: calligraphic liquid ink, wolf hairbrush, red Xuan paper

Xué( 学 ): Study

• This is also a popular character to be presented during Tet. It is often given to students to remind them to work hard and to wish them high results in their study.

• Duration: 10 minutes

Medium: calligraphic liquid ink, wolf hairbrush, red Xuan paper

Part 2: Calligraphy in literature

An excerpt of Mãn Giác zenmaster’s poem: “When Having Diseases I Tell Everybody”

• Mãn Giác zenmaster wrote the poem when he was having a disease, and he wrote it to advise other people. The highlighted image of the poem is apricot, a kind of flower that blossoms in springtime in Vietnam.

• 莫謂春殘花落盡庭前昨夜一枝梅

Translation: Don’t say that with the spring gone, all flowers fall.  Last night, in the front yard, a branch of apricot flower. • Duration: 30 minutes Medium: calligraphic liquid ink,

wolf hairbrush, red Xuan paper

Part 3: Other

A tribute to my junior high school

• Nguyễn Trường Tộ

( 阮長祚 ), is the name of a a Vietnamese 19th century scholar and reformer. My junior high school, which I was much attached to, is named after him.

• Duration: 15 minutes Medium: calligraphic liqid ink, wolf hair brush, white paper