Special Korea-China Cultural Exchange: Zhai Xiangrong Calligraphy Exhibition Opens in Seoul

The calligraphy exhibition "Infusing the Way into Ink: Special Korea-China Cultural Exchange Exhibition" by calligrapher Zhai Xiangrong was held on May 13 at the JoongAng Ilbo headquarters in Seoul. The exhibition was jointly organized by the Korea-China Friendship Association, the Chinese Cultural Center in Korea, the Korea Calligraphers Association, and the Korea-China Art Association, and was curated by renowned Chinese curator Yang Jihong.

The main highlight of this exhibition was an 8.8-meter-long copy of the Diamond Sutra 《Jingangjing》, written in pure gold by Zhai Xiangrong. This monumental work, comprising a total of 5,175 characters, was presented to the public in Seoul for the first time.

The piece is based on the structure of regular script (kaishu), but within the depths of its brushwork, one can quietly trace thousands of years of Chinese calligraphic history—from seal script and clerical script to cursive and regular script. Each stroke is layered with history, and each shade of ink embodies the spirit of the calligrapher. Confronted with the work, it soon becomes clear that the use of pure gold is not simply for visual opulence.

Zhai Xiangrong, who hails from Hunan Province, China, began wielding the brush at the age of five under the guidance of his calligrapher father. The family’s tradition became his destiny, and he willingly embraced it. No matter the era or the circumstances, he has never put down his brush.

"Calligraphy is a responsibility inherited from my family, and it is a calling I must devote my life to upholding," he said, his words calm yet resolute, without any ornate embellishments. He added, "Through continuous writing, learning, and exploration, we ultimately reach a broader and freer realm beyond calligraphy itself."

In addition to the Diamond Sutra, the exhibition featured 15 works that encapsulate the overall history of Chinese calligraphy. The selection was designed to provide an overview of the origins and evolution of calligraphic styles, from oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions to seal script, clerical script, cursive script, and regular script.

The work 《Sanshiban》, featuring bronze inscriptions from the Western Zhou dynasty, was recreated in the form of a rubbing. Modern pigments were used to write the text, with the characters rendered in white on a black background, reviving the visual tension characteristic of traditional rubbings.

In the work 《Chunyaxiuyu》 (“Spring Night, Joyful Rain”), which employs cursive script, one can discern the historical context of cursive’s emergence from the Han dynasty’s zhangcao style. The need for speed in transmitting military information and urgent administrative affairs in the frontier regions made it impractical to record everything in seal or clerical script. Thus, the characters were simplified, giving rise to the rapid and flowing cursive script. Cursive is not merely a calligraphic style; it is a unique language with its own system of symbols, and it also served a security function—making documents difficult to decipher immediately if they fell into enemy hands.

Regular script (kaishu) was perfected alongside the establishment of the civil service examination system during the Sui and Tang dynasties. The requirements for clarity, standardization, and universal accessibility shaped the form of regular script, which reached its golden age during the Tang dynasty.

In his creative practice, Zhai Xiangrong follows the principle of "using the old for the present" (guyijin-yong), utilizing ancient content but expressing it through a contemporary sensibility. He revives elements from the past that do not remain confined to history, breathing new life into them at the tip of his brush. In Seoul, he presented this quiet and enduring flow—the transmission of thousands of years of civilization through the life of a single individual.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.