Chinese Brushes
A BRUSH WITH HISTORY GALLERY
On a trip to China last year, I was taken to a ‘flea market’ in Beijing. It was there that I came across these antique calligraphy brushes, and my love affair with them began. Each one was so exquisite, and each entirely unique. Some are composed of jade, some bamboo, others ivory, cloisonné, porcelain or iron. They range in size from twelve inches to four feet.
Unlike the western sable brushes I use, Chinese brushes can be the hair of deer, rabbit, weasel or goat – some are even feathers! I stood in this busy market admiring one brush after another – each one seemed to have a ‘chi’ of its own. There was simply no choosing between them, so I took them all, (or as many as I could carry).
Back home, I hung my treasures – all 50 of them – on a wall in my studio. I decided I had to paint them, and as I did I became increasingly entranced. These brushes had been used; many had paints still on them. Who held these brushes? I wondered. What stories had they told? I was seduced by their history, and awed by cultural heritage they represented.
Chinese calligraphy is a true art and takes a lifetime to perfect. In China, a part of every child’s education is mastering their characters with the calligraphy brush, and brushes are cherished for generations. Mastery of the form is creating each character in one pass – a single stroke, without ever lifting the brush from the page. As a painter, I have such respect for this ancient tradition, and as a lover of history, I am fascinated by the story behind each and every brush. Painting them was a remarkable journey.
Once I had painted them, the question was where to hang them all? I was delighted when East West Bank offered to show them in their new branch – a new contemporary building of an institution that spans both eastern and western cultures. (I was even given the floor plan of the pre-constructed building so I could picture the finished pieces in the space). More fitting is the fact that East West Bank is an ardent patron of the Bower’s Museum, and it was the Bower’s that hosted my trip to China. In fact, a portion of the proceeds from these paintings will be donated to the museum.
I am a modern western watercolorist, but wanted to frame the paintings in a way that sort of embraced both East and West, old and new. Also, in reverence for their magnificent history, I thought the brushes themselves should be included. So each watercolor is framed in modern molded plexiglass, but inside each is encased ancient history; one of the brushes from each painting is mounted within – a work of art unto itself.
The show will open during the lunar celebration of the Chinese New Year, and will remain on exhibit throughout ‘The Year of the Dog’. The experience of capturing these brushes on paper has been one of profound discovery – a passage through East and West. But finally, I believe Art is neither eastern nor western, it is universal and meant to be shared.
I hope you enjoy these brushes as much as I did painting them.