Seated Among Kindred Spirits — Bu Zi and His Companions
by Hsieh Shu-Min
Yi Yun Art presents Seated Among Kindred Spirits — Bu Zi and His Companions at Taipei Art Week. The title Seated Among Kindred Spirits is drawn from a poem of Su Dongpo(蘇軾,1037–1101), “Dian Jiang Chun · Leisurely Leaning on a Hu Chair,” evoking Bu Zi’s unrestrained temperament and his romantic affinity with nature. It further implies those moments when Bu Zi, across time, seemed to commune in spirit with the great masters of the past.
The exhibition focuses on Bu Zi’s oeuvre, drawing primarily from his collected works and supplemented by documentary materials—magazine articles, publications, and photographic records of his exhibition history—to trace the thematic evolution of his art and to present as comprehensive a picture of Bu Zi’s artistic world as possible.
The exhibition opens with a historical image as its key visual—a reprint from Art and Collection magazine’s February 1999 special feature “Artists’ Collections,” which published a photograph titled Bu Zi Unfolding His Work. Remarkably, the very piece shown being “unfolded” in that photograph—Worn Cloak and Short Cane (敝裘短策)—is presented here for the first time, forming the thematic core for exploring Bu Zi’s signature large-scale, monumental cursive-script (wild cursive) calligraphic works.
Bu Zi (1959–2013), Chen Zong-Shen born in Tainan, Taiwan, formerly served in the Exhibition Department of the National Museum of History in Taipei, where he developed a profound grounding in traditional culture. Mastering multiple calligraphic styles, he was particularly renowned for his mastery of Wild Cursive. The essence of his creative practice was deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy, devoted to realizing the complete unity of techne and dao—of skill and the Way.
The centerpiece of this exhibition is Worn Cloak and Short Cane (敝裘短策) (180 × 90 cm). The poem inscribed reads:
“My worn cloak and short cane, I set off light of heart;
Last night’s farewell toast feels already a year apart.
Eyes follow drifting clouds with sorrow for the distant way,
My heart flies with the birds toward the far-off sky.
The river winds round the shore, forming countless crossings,
Hooves thunder and raise dust that turns into mist.
As a wanderer, I take solace in such scenes,
Yet I cannot bear to offer this to a Jade Hall immortal.”
The colophon reads, “Bu Zi, as a guest at Sanqian Hall,” indicating that this work was written while visiting a close friend. It is Bu Zi’s copy after a work by the Ming-dynasty polymath Xu Wei (徐渭1521–1593), renowned for his poetry, painting, and calligraphy. Xu’s poem, originally sent to his friend Tao Liang Han (陶兩翰 生卒年不詳) while traveling through Xuzhou, conveys the poet’s poignant feelings of departure—using the image of a tattered cloak and short sword to evoke solitude and longing. Through symbols such as drifting clouds, flying birds, and winding rivers, Xu expressed both yearning for the distant and an open-hearted communion with nature.
In the latter half of 1998, on the eve of his move from Taipei back to his hometown Tainan, Bu Zi composed this piece in a moment of convivial spontaneity among friends, finding deep resonance with Xu Wei’s verse. In 2000, Worn Cloak and Short Cane was exhibited at Bu Zi’s solo calligraphy exhibition at the Art Center of Providence University in Taichung and documented in The World of Bu Zi’s Wild Cursive. These records attest to how much the artist valued this work.
The composition radiates vigorous and robust structure, charged with swirling, forceful strokes that naturally recall the calligraphic spirit of Zhang Ruitu (張瑞圖1570–1641) and Fu Shan (傅山1607–1684). In it, Bu Zi transforms Xu Wei’s poetic imagery into a dynamic visual form, achieving a synthesis of emotional lyricism and calligraphic power. Created around the age of forty, this work reveals Bu Zi’s profound understanding of traditional brush methods and his grasp of the expressive principles that guided the great late-Ming masters of large-scale cursive writing—laying the foundation for the monumental, free-spirited style that would later become his hallmark.
This exhibition also features the rarely seen Spring Dawn(春曉) (1997), Bu Zi’s calligraphic rendering of a poem by the Tang poet Meng Haoran (孟浩然689–740). The work exudes the vigor and ambition of his mature years. It reflects a Ming-dynasty stylistic synthesis—merging the spirited qualities of Zhang Ruitu and Fu Shan —while infusing a distinctly personal flair. Though modest in size, the piece radiates youthful energy and an unrestrained charm that makes it an especially delightful work to behold.
In addition, the exhibition presents three of Bu Zi’s model-letter copies (臨古尺牘)—a genre in which the artist faithfully studies classical correspondence to internalize the spirit of the ancients. The works include:
．In the style of Ni Yuanlu’s Letters (擬倪元璐尺牘) (2001), 29.5 × 14 cm, 10 album leaves;
．Model Copy after Huang Tingjian’s Jiaoshen Tie (臨黃庭堅教審帖)(2001), 30 × 17 cm, 3 album leaves; and
．Model Copy after Huang Tingjian’s Jiaoshen Tie (臨黃庭堅教審帖) (2011), 38 × 26.5 cm, 3 album leaves.
These letters, written with lucid legibility, reveal Bu Zi’s ever-deepening engagement with the classical world—not only in the refinement of skill but also in the maturation of spirit and intellect. The 2001 pieces possess a delicate precision and courtly elegance, whereas the 2011 set demonstrates a freer, more confident line—evidence of an artist whose mastery had evolved into natural ease.
Of particular note is the In the style of Ni Yuanlu’s Letters (擬倪元璐尺牘) (29.5 × 14 cm, 10 album leaves, 2001). The colophon reads:
“It has been long since I last emulated Master Hongbao (倪元璐 號鴻寶 1593-1644)’s writing, and my distance from it has grown.
By chance, at Mr. Fengzhang’s place, I came upon an old volume containing letters between Hongbao and his younger brother Yuanzan(倪元瓚 生卒年不詳).
Their writing brims with genuine emotion and radiant spirit; I took great pleasure in copying it, guided only by feeling.
I cannot claim full fidelity—let this bring a smile to Mr. Fengzhang.
Written by Bu Zi at Dongshan Studio, Huayuanli, in the eleventh month of the year Xinsi (2001).”
At that time, Mr. Wu, director of Hong Zhan Gallery, specialized in modern and contemporary ink painting and calligraphy, emphasizing artists’ technical depth and classical foundation. He organized Bu Zi’s solo calligraphy exhibition in 1996 and included him again in two group shows in 1999 and 2001. During an era when commercial galleries were still few in Taiwan, his willingness to promote a young calligrapher was remarkable.
Bu Zi, deeply moved by Mr. Wu’s support, responded with both gratitude and conviction—through his works, he affirmed that his calligraphy was firmly rooted in the classical tradition. In Bu Zi’s artistic journey, Mr. Wu was not only a discerning connoisseur but also a crucial advocate who helped introduce his art to the broader market.
Looking across his early career, Bu Zi’s first solo exhibition Intoxicated Ink: The Calligraphy of Chen Zong-Shen was held at Shin Sheng Gallery in Taipei in 1989, followed by Cursive．Regular Script—Bu Zi’s Calligraphy world at Hong Zhan Gallery in 1996, and Mindscape．Space — Calligraphy by Bu Zi at Chaishan Art Space in Kaohsiung. His solo exhibition at the Art Center of Providence University in Taichung in 2000 further consolidated his position as a major calligrapher of his generation.
Although the calligraphy market during the 1990s remained modest, offering little financial reward, Bu Zi pressed on with steadfast resolve. He found solace in nature and communion with the ancients—regarding them both as teachers and companions. Through years of disciplined practice and inner refinement, he cultivated a deeply personal understanding of life, allowing his art to grow from both classical nourishment and lived experience.
We now turn our attention to two focal works from 2008 and 2009. After years of unremitting practice, Bu Zi had reached a point of complete immersion—his daily life steeped in calligraphic discipline, each stroke imbued with the resonance of the classical tradition. From this deep cultivation emerged an explosive creative energy, refined through adversity and transformed into spiritual strength.
By this time, Bu Zi had delved more profoundly into Buddhist scriptures and Daoist philosophy, his technical mastery accompanied by an expanding sense of ease and openness with age. His works from this period manifest a remarkable vitality born of inner clarity. In both his daily conduct and his multifaceted artistic exchanges, Bu Zi revealed an ever more assured and integrated vision of art and life.
The 2008 work Autumn in the Mountains (山色秋) draws its inscription from Shitao’s (1642–1707) Comments on Painting (石濤畫論). In this piece, the structure of individual characters reveals an increasing freedom and relaxation. Throughout, Bu Zi experiments with twists and inflections of line, variations of dots and density, and the spontaneous effects of splashed or dripping ink. The result is a rhythmic and dynamic composition—a mysterious symphony of life, guided by the pulse of ink and the movement of line.
Another major work from 2009, Fragrance in Motion (暗香飛舞) (234 × 339 cm), bears the inscription:
“Winter departs, and spring arrives—ten thousand forms awaken anew.
The maple before my door dons a fresh robe.
Bees and butterflies flutter like wandering minstrels,
Fragrant breezes drift through the Old Mango House.
Recorded by Bu Zi, the man of Chunxi, in the spring of the jichou year (2009).”
According to Lin Chin-Chung (林進忠)’s essay Chen Tsung-Chen — The Gallant of the Calligraphic Seas, the Creator of Heart-Paintings, Bu Zi once wrote in his Life Notes (August 2005):
“It has been more than seven years since I moved from Taipei back to my hometown of Tainan. Life in southern Taiwan flows at a slower pace... My days are now calm and unhurried.
Sweeping the courtyard, writing calligraphy, and meditative sitting have become the core of my daily rhythm. Over a decade of free creation has naturally distilled into its own quiet order.”
The poem in Fragrance in Motion emerged from this serene state of being—a spontaneous record of the artist’s inner landscape. It portrays the scene of his first studio in his hometown, the Old Mango House (also called Changbei Studio), evoking a sense of ease and freedom in daily life where creation unfolds as naturally as breathing.
Calligraphic creation necessarily requires long years of disciplined practice. Over the decades, Bu Zi’s continuous study, introspection, and evolving view of life nurtured each successive stage of his artistic growth. The rhythms of daily living—interactions with friends, artistic explorations, exhibitions with galleries, and excursions into nature—were not separate from his art but its very substance.
Traces of this lived experience are inscribed in every work. Through this exhibition, the viewer is invited to follow these visible and heartfelt signs, entering a world of Bu Zi’s art that is alive with warmth, presence, and humanity.
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Reference:
1. Lee, I-Chen. “Chen Zong-Shen’s Calligraphy Refined Through Collecting (Tentative Translation)", Art and Collection, no. 77 (February 1999): 160–163.
2. “Chen Zong-Shen’s Calligraphy Refined Through Collecting (Tentative Translation)”, Art and Collection, no. 77 (February 1999): 160. Photograph by Cheng Fang.
3. Lin Chin-Chung. “Chen Tsung-Chen — The Gallant of the Calligraphic Seas, the Creator of Heart-Paintings (Tentative Translation)”, In The Classics of Taiwanese Art: Calligraphy Vol. 5 — Dancing Brush, Flowing Ink: The Freedom of the Heart, Taipei: Council for Cultural Affairs & Artist Publishing Co., 2006.
4. “Intoxicated Ink: The Calligraphy of Chen Zong-Shen” Exhibition advertisement, Shin Sheng Gallery, in Lion Art Magazine, September 1989, p. 53.
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About the Author | Hsieh Shu-Min
Founder and Director of Elisa Gallery; Independent Curator; and Private Corporate Art Consultant.
Curatorial Experience
Beyond the Line・Sacred Wild Cursive — Bu Zi’s Revolving Calligraphy, Wisdom Mountain Art Center, Tianjin, China (2014).
The Art of Soul・Sacred Wild Cursive — Bu Zi, Author Gallery, Shanghai, China (2013).
Marvelous Art・Sacred Wild Cursive — Bu Zi Solo Exhibition, Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, China (2012).
The Dance of Free and Spiritual Life — Works by Hung Tung & Yu Cheng-Yao, Elisa Gallery, Tainan, Taiwan (2011).
The Emergence of Vital Energy — Works by Hsiao Chin, Elisa Gallery, Tainan, Taiwan (2010).
