陳維德   Chen, Wei-De   1945~

Wei-De Chen, courtesy name Si-Qi, was born in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China, in 1945. He styled himself as The Host of Plum-Washing Studio. During his apprenticeship, he was successively mentored by several leading figures, such as Yo-Ren Yu, Chao-Zai Lee, Pu-Tong Lee, Jing-Zhi Wang and Zong-An Xie, thus paving the way for his great mastery of calligraphy. Chen majored in Chinese literature at university and had a wide coverage of classics of different schools, after which he has devoted himself to Chinese literature and calligraphy with remarkable diligence. Chen is highly skilled in all sorts of Chinese scripts. Modeled upon the calligraphic works of the Tang Dynasty, the artist’s standard script is rigorous and robust with a touch of delicacy and grace. His running-cursive script both exudes an aesthetic aura as elegant as Xi-Zhi Wang’s and Fu Mi’s chefs d’oeuvre, and imbibes the pert and vigorous features of his mentor Jing-Zhi Wang’s works. His seal script is simple yet profound, oozing the charm of metal and stone. His clerical script reflects the essence of Han Dynasty tablet inscriptions which brings a sense of grandeur and solemnness. Every stroke of the artist’s brush bears his distinctive signature, which is not only classically elegant but also even and straight. The artist’s calligraphic practice internalizes Laozi’s concept of “naturalness,” radiating a mild and gentle aura that acts of its own accord. Several grand prizes such as the Zhongshan Literary and Artistic Creation Award, the National Literary and Artistic Awards and the Wu San-Lien Literary and Artistic Creation Award have been bestowed on the artist. He formerly served as an associate counselor to the Office of the President of the Republic of China, as an Examiner of the Examination Yuan, and as the chairman of the director board of Chung Hua Calligraphy Society, as well as the Chinese Standard Cursive Script Association. Furthermore, the artist has successively taught at Taipei Municipal University of Education and Mingdao University, and concurrently assisted in providing the Jing-Zhi Wang scholarship for students from low-income families and the Xue-Rang Wu ink-painting scholarship. Chen tends to encourage young protégés in assiduous self-cultivation, and epitomizes a brilliant artist, and concurrently a scholar and an educator.