Human Calligraphy and Bird Calligraphy - Creative Heritage of Contemporary Vietnamese Calligraphy

Calligraphy - The quintessence of Vietnamese culture and art

Calligraphy has long been an important part of Vietnamese culture, not only in terms of beautiful writing but also in expressing the philosophy of life, soul and national identity. Over the centuries, calligraphy has been closely associated with the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people through horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, steles, royal decrees, etc.

In the modern flow, Vietnamese calligraphy faces many challenges. However, instead of fading away, this art form has constantly innovated to suit the times. One of the important and groundbreaking creations is the appearance of two genres "Nhan Dien Thu" and "Vat Dieu Thu" created by Artist Le Thien Ly.

The calligraphy collection combines the art of writing and drawing, imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity. Photo: Dao Trang

The two calligraphy genres of Human Face and Bird Face have brought a new breath to the art of Vietnamese calligraphy. Human Face is a calligraphy style in which the strokes create human images, recreating the images of famous people, historical figures, or faces with symbolic meaning in national culture. Bird Face expresses images of nature, birds, flowers and leaves through calligraphy, creating a harmonious combination between the art of writing and traditional painting.

These two genres require skillful calligraphy skills, requiring the artist to have keen observation and creativity to express the shape and spirit of the object through each stroke.

One of the most typical works of Artisan Le Thien Ly is 2012 “Phuong” characters, made on the occasion of the 2012 Red Flamboyant Festival in Hai Phong. Each “Phuong” character in the work is not only a character, but also contains cultural and historical depth, depicting the image of Saint Giong, Mother Au Co, the map of Vietnam or the national flag.

The mark of artist Le Thien Ly in Vietnamese calligraphy

With over 30 years of dedication to calligraphy, Artist Le Thien Ly has made important contributions to the preservation and development of this art form. He is not only the creator of Nhan nhan thu and Vat dieu thu, but also sets many remarkable records: Entering the Vietnam Record with the unique work of 1000 "Long" characters. Making 1000 "Long" characters on Chu Dau ceramic plates, recognized in the Guinness Book of Records. Promoting calligraphy by teaching for free, inspiring the younger generation.

Not stopping at pure art, his works also have high practical value, helping Vietnamese calligraphy integrate into contemporary life.

Calligrapher Le Thien Ly spoke at the workshop, sharing his creations and contributions to the art of Vietnamese calligraphy. Photo: Dao Trang

This workshop not only aims to honor the contributions of Artist Le Thien Ly, but also opens up important directions for the future of Vietnamese calligraphy. This is an opportunity to promote the research, teaching and dissemination of calligraphy to the community, as well as its application in other fields such as painting, architecture, and fashion.

The workshop “Personal calligraphy and Object-bird calligraphy in the flow of contemporary Vietnamese calligraphy” affirmed that calligraphy is not only a cultural heritage, but also a living art, capable of adapting and developing with the times. The creations of Artisan Le Thien Ly are clear evidence of the spirit of constant innovation of the Vietnamese people in the cultural field.

Inheriting and promoting culture

Over the years, the Hai Phong Center for Calligraphy, Parallel Sentences and Han-Nom Studies (abbreviated as the Calligraphy Center) has organized many practical activities, contributing to the development of calligraphy culture in the modern context.

The Center has opened classes to teach Han-Nom calligraphy, Vietnamese calligraphy, ink-wash calligraphy; participated in activities to give calligraphy at the beginning of spring at historical - cultural and spiritual sites, composed large characters, parallel sentences and organized opening writing festivals to arouse the spirit of learning. At the same time, the Center also promotes exchanges with calligraphy clubs inside and outside the city, creating a sustainable calligraphy community.

In order to inherit and promote the tradition of Hai Phong calligraphy in the new era, with the consensus of the leaders of the Hai Phong City Craft Village Association, the Calligraphy Center organized a discussion with the theme "Human and Bird Calligraphy by Calligrapher Le Thien Ly in the flow of contemporary Vietnamese calligraphy".

Delegates offer incense at the ceremony before the workshop “Recognition of letters and Objects of letters in the flow of contemporary Vietnamese calligraphy”. Photo: Dao Trang

The workshop is meant to research and honor artistic achievements, opening a forum for researchers and artists to exchange and gain deeper understanding of the contributions of Calligraphy Artist Le Thien Ly, who has been listed in the Guinness World Records and Vietnam Records, with groundbreaking works such as Nhan Nhan Thu, Vat Dieu Thu and Dinh Thu Chu Viet.

Following these values, research institutes, cultural preservation centers, and calligraphers will have the basis to continue to conduct more in-depth seminars to clarify both the theory and practice of these two calligraphy genres. This will also be an important step in building a strategy to preserve and promote the art of Human Face Calligraphy and Bird Calligraphy, bringing these two genres closer to domestic and international audiences.

Delegates, calligraphers and guests take souvenir photos at the workshop. Photo: Dao Trang

Kim Khanh - Dao Trang