王壯為   Wang, Zhuang-Wei   1910~1998

Born in Yi county, Hebei province, China, in 1909, Zhuang-Wei Wang acquired literacy and learned the basics of painting and seal engraving from his father from a tender age, which helped him lay a solid foundation for his skills in calligraphy and seal engraving. At the age of 20, he enrolled in Jinghua School of Fine Arts where he sat at the feet of Yue-Zhi Wang to learn Western painting. He devoted himself entirely to education by founding elementary schools and promoting girls’ and women’s education, through which innumerable young protégés were mentored. He took part in the Nationalist government’s retreat to Taiwan in 1949, after which he taught seal engraving and the history of calligraphy at several colleges, in addition to holding public office. Following the traditions of handwritten calligraphy established by Xi-Zhi Wang and Xian-Zhi Wang, the artist both captured the spirit of Zhen-Qing Yan’s stele-based standard script and imbibed Meng-Fu Zhao’s and Zheng-Ming Wen’s characteristic styles of running-cursive script, thereby pioneering a distinctive approach with vigorous and unrestrained strokes. In his twilight years, he was interested in copying the ancient literature unearthed in the modern age, including Chu Silk Manuscripts, Jade Covenant Inscriptions from Houma, and the Silk Manuscript of Lao Zi, making a practice that none of his contemporaries could emulate. His studiousness made him a paragon for calligraphers of a younger age. In terms of seal engraving, the artist modeled his skills upon renowned artists in the Qing Dynasty, such as Zhi-Qian Zhao and Shi-Ling Huang, and also drew on the merits of the seal art of the Warring States Period and the Han Dynasty. Capturing the quintessence of Chang-Shuo Wu’s seal engraving, the artist transformed it into his personal style, characterized by simple and powerful lines as well as exquisite composition without any trace of artificiality. The artist served on the jury of the Zhongshan Literary and Artistic Creation Award – the category for calligraphy and seal engraving, and served as a member of the executive council, Taiwan’s Society of Seal Engraving. He also taught at National Taiwan Normal University and Chinese Culture University. The artist lived up to the expectations implied by his name with his invaluable contribution to the education of calligraphy and seal arts.