A Garden of Words: The Calligraphy of Liu Fang Yuan

Part 1: Aug. 28–Dec. 13, 2021 | Part 2: Jan. 29–May 16, 2022 | This exhibition of contemporary Chinese calligraphy is the inaugural installation in the Chinese Garden's new art gallery, the Studio for Lodging the Mind.
Wan-go H. C. Weng 翁萬戈 (1918–2020, born Shanghai; active United States). Garden of Flowing Fragrance流芳園, 2007. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in clerical script. Image: 10 3/8 x 50 7/8 in. (26.3 x 129 cm); Mount: 15 1/8 x 64 in. (38 x 162.5 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Wan-go H. C. Weng 翁萬戈 (1918–2020, born Shanghai; active United States). Garden of Flowing Fragrance流芳園, 2007. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in clerical script. Image: 10 3/8 x 50 7/8 in. (26.3 x 129 cm); Mount: 15 1/8 x 64 in. (38 x 162.5 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Lo Ch’ing 羅青 [Lo Ch’ing-che 羅青哲] (born 1948, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China; active Taiwan). Corridor of Water and Clouds 水雲廊, 2007. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in seal script. Image: 16 3/4 x 36 1/4 in. (42.5 x 92 in); Mount: 16 x 52 in. (40.6 x 133 cm); Roller: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Lo Ch’ing 羅青 [Lo Ch’ing-che 羅青哲] (born 1948, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China; active Taiwan). Corridor of Water and Clouds 水雲廊, 2007. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in seal script. Image: 16 3/4 x 36 1/4 in. (42.5 x 92 cm); Mount: 16 x 52 in. (40.6 x 133 cm); Roller: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Zhu Chengjun 朱稱俊 (born 1946, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China; active China and United States). World in a Wine Pot 壺天, 2018. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in seal script. Image: 16 3/4 x 45 1/2 in. (42.5 x 115.5 cm); Mount: 17 1/2 x 53 1/2 in. (44.5 x 136 cm); Roller: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Zhu Chengjun 朱稱俊 (born 1946, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China; active China and United States). World in a Wine Pot 壺天, 2018. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in seal script. Image: 16 3/4 x 45 1/2 in. (42.5 x 115.5 cm); Mount: 17 1/2 x 53 1/2 in. (44.5 x 136 cm); Roller: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Tang Qingnian 唐慶年 (born 1956, Beijing; active United States). Verdant Microcosm 翠玲瓏, 2018. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in bird-and-worm script. Image: 16 3/4 x 36 1/4 in. (42.5 x 92 cm); Mount: 17 1/2 x 49 in. (44.5 x 124.5 cm); Roller: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Tang Qingnian 唐慶年 (born 1956, Beijing; active United States). Verdant Microcosm 翠玲瓏, 2018. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in bird-and-worm script. Image: 16 3/4 x 36 1/4 in. (42.5 x 92 cm); Mount: 17 1/2 x 49 in. (44.5 x 124.5 cm); Roller: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Lo Ch’ing 羅青 [Lo Ch’ing-che 羅青哲] (born 1948, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China; active Taiwan). Strolling in the Moonlight 步月, 2007. Hanging scroll; ink on paper; calligraphy written in running script. Image: 27 x 12 ½ in (68.5 x 32 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Lo Ch’ing 羅青 [Lo Ch’ing-che 羅青哲] (born 1948, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China; active Taiwan). Strolling in the Moonlight 步月, 2007. Hanging scroll; ink on paper; calligraphy written in running script. Image: 27 x 12 ½ in. (68.5 x 32 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Terry Yuan [Yuan Zhizhong 袁志鍾] (born 1954, Shanghai; active United States). Terrace that Invites the Mountains 邀山臺, 2007. Hanging scroll; ink on paper; calligraphy written in running script. Image: 27 x 14 in. (68.5 x 35 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Terry Yuan [Yuan Zhizhong 袁志鍾] (born 1954, Shanghai; active United States). Terrace that Invites the Mountains 邀山臺, 2007. Hanging scroll; ink on paper; calligraphy written in running script. Image: 27 x 14 in. (68.5 x 35 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Grace Chu [Chu Chang-fang 朱彰芳] (born 1959, Taipei, Taiwan; active United States ). Seeing the Large in the Small 小中見大, 2018. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in seal script. Image: 13 3/4 x 40 3/8 in. (35 x 102.6 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Grace Chu [Chu Chang-fang 朱彰芳] (born 1959, Taipei, Taiwan; active United States ). Seeing the Large in the Small 小中見大, 2018. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in seal script. Image: 13 3/4 x 40 3/8 in. (35 x 102.6 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Fu Shen 傅申 (born 1937, Shanghai; active Taiwan, United States, and China). Court of Assembled Worthies 集賢院, 2018. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in running script. Image: 16 3/4 x 45 1/2 in. (42.5 x 115.5 cm); Mount: 17 1/2 x 54 in. (44.5 x 137 cm); Roller: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Fu Shen 傅申 (born 1937, Shanghai; active Taiwan, United States, and China). Court of Assembled Worthies 集賢院, 2018. Handscroll, ink on paper; calligraphy written in running script. Image: 16 3/4 x 45 1/2 in. (42.5 x 115.5 cm); Mount: 17 1/2 x 54 in. (44.5 x 137 cm); Roller: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm). The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Tang Qingnian 唐慶年 (born 1956, Beijing; active United States). Relaxed talk and languid laughter are fitting for bamboo and rocks; fine days in spring and autumn call for cups and goblets 言笑放懷宜竹石,春秋佳日共壺觴, after a couplet by Jin Nong 金農 (1687–1763), 2018. Pair of hanging scrolls, ink on paper; calligraphy written in cursive script. Image: 54 1/4 x 13 1/2 in. (137.8 x 34.3 cm) each. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Tang Qingnian 唐慶年 (born 1956, Beijing; active United States). Relaxed talk and languid laughter are fitting for bamboo and rocks; fine days in spring and autumn call for cups and goblets 言笑放懷宜竹石,春秋佳日共壺觴, after a couplet by Jin Nong 金農 (1687–1763), 2018. Pair of hanging scrolls, ink on paper; calligraphy written in cursive script. Image: 54 1/4 x 13 1/2 in. (137.8 x 34.3 cm) each. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Calligraphy artist Tang Qingnian 唐慶年 at work on a large scroll during a public demonstration in 2018. Tang was the Cheng Family Foundation Artist-in-Residence at The Huntington in 2019. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Photo by Jaime Pham

Calligraphy artist Tang Qingnian 唐慶年 at work on a large scroll during a public demonstration in 2018. Tang was the Cheng Family Foundation Artist-in-Residence at The Huntington in 2019. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Photo by Jaime Pham

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A Garden of Words: The Calligraphy of Liu Fang Yuan. Installation view at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino. Photo: Joshua White / JWPictures.com.

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A Garden of Words: The Calligraphy of Liu Fang Yuan. Installation view at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino. Photo: Joshua White / JWPictures.com.

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A Garden of Words: The Calligraphy of Liu Fang Yuan. Installation view at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino. Photo: Joshua White / JWPictures.com.

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A Garden of Words: The Calligraphy of Liu Fang Yuan. Installation view at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino. Photo: Joshua White / JWPictures.com.

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A Garden of Words: The Calligraphy of Liu Fang Yuan. Installation view at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino. Photo: Joshua White / JWPictures.com.

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Part 1: Aug. 28–Dec. 13, 2021
Part 2: Jan. 29–May 16, 2022

Celebrating the recent opening of the final phase of its Chinese Garden, The Huntington presents an exhibition of contemporary Chinese calligraphy as the inaugural installation in the garden's new art gallery, the Studio for Lodging the Mind. The exhibition, designed to illuminate the art form and foster deeper appreciation of its expressive qualities, will be presented in two 16-week rotations of 20 works each. The work of 21 contemporary ink artists will be featured, including Bai Qianshen, Michael Cherney, Grace Chu, Fu Shen, Lo Ch’ing, Tang Qingnian, Wang Mansheng, Wan-go Weng, Zhu Chengjun, and Terry Yuan, among others. The works on view comprise the original calligraphic scrolls that served as the models for inscriptions throughout the garden. To complement the show, a series of calligraphy demonstrations by featured artists will be offered during the run of the exhibition inside an adjacent structure known as the Flowery Brush Library.

Part 1 | View Gallery Guide (English) | 導覽手冊(中文版)
Part 2 | View Gallery Guide (English) | 導覽手冊(中文版)

Gif of Garden of Words gallery guide

Exhibition Events

Calligraphy Demonstration: Tang Qingnian 唐慶年
Saturday, April 9, 2022 | 2:30–3:30 p.m.
Chinese Garden

Chinese Garden Tours

Calligraphy of Liu Fang Yuan 流芳園
Learn about the artful brush writings found throughout the Chinese Garden. Start

Liu Fang Yuan 流芳園, The Garden of Flowing Fragrance
Learn the design and history behind the Chinese Garden, The Garden of Flowing Fragrance. Start

Chinese Garden Audio Tour
Take a stroll around the Chinese Garden with this audio tour. English | 語音導覽

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