中文 
en 
“Writing” and “painting” differ fundamentally in nature, yet “calligraphy and painting share a common origin,” both initially emerging as depictions of imagery. The British philosopher and sociologist Spencer believed that writing originated from primitive images. Chinese philologist Tang Lan also stated: “The origin of writing is imagery.” Imagery is the origin of an international language, and pictographic characters constitute the fundamental method of language formation. Chinese pictographic characters differ significantly from those of other ancient civilizations. Chinese characters use relatively abstract symbols—such as dots and lines—to depict the most essential features of imagery, refining, generalizing, and transforming them, even exaggerating or distorting forms, employing appropriate methods to convey the intrinsic spirit of the image rather than mere physical resemblance. In contrast, pictographic scripts of other ancient cultures generally relied on realistic methods to render forms, emphasizing literal shape. Chinese pictographs are “drawn according to the object, following its natural curves”; the character for “mountain” resembles a standing mountain, and the character for “water” suggests the movement of a river—but these are merely rough outlines, not literal depictions. This pictographic method provided writers with the possibility of artistic expression transcending direct visual representation.
In traditional Chinese civilizational concepts, “squareness” is an extremely important and ambitious category. The Huainanzi, Benjing Xun, records: “Heaven is round, earth is square.” In ancestral conceptions, even the earth itself was regarded as square. The strong physiological predisposition of human vision to recognize square structures, the inheritance of early primitive graphic symbols, and particularly the Chinese nation’s deep affection and reverence for the square shape, caused Chinese characters from their very inception to manifest themselves on a nearly square two-dimensional plane. Oracle bone script, the oldest systematic form of Chinese writing, exhibits complex and varied forms, yet all are arranged and constructed on a two-dimensional plane. Inscriptions on bronze vessels gradually became more uniform, with lines and segments increasingly neat and orderly. Character size and spacing became more even, and cases emerged where characters were first marked out before being written (e.g., the Song Hu and Zongfu Ding). It is evident that the square form of Chinese characters was already established during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Chinese characters not only possess independent structural layouts but also integrate seamlessly with independent sounds and meanings; their dot-and-line components and two-dimensional spatial structure provide the material foundation for calligraphic art.
Cherishing symmetry and balance is a distinctive feature of Chinese aesthetic thought. In ancient China, architecture was always arranged along a central axis, with the most important and largest structures placed precisely on this axis, clearly distinguishing prominence and subtlety, achieving symmetry and equilibrium. Liu Xie, in The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, stated: “Nature shapes things in pairs; divine design is meaningful, and nothing exists in isolation. When the human heart gives rise to speech, it also considers rhythm—protrusions and recesses harmonize naturally, forming pairs.” The Six Scripts also emphasize balanced and symmetrical structure. Fundamentally, symmetrical structural arrangements evoke a sense of stability, order, rigor, and sanctity—qualities perceived as beauty. This aesthetic mode of thinking is reflected in the formation of Chinese characters, which must prioritize structural balance. The square structure of Chinese characters provided an advantageous framework for early creators seeking beauty in symmetry and balance. Professor Liu Zhiji of East China Normal University said: “Within the square, symmetry and balance constitute the optimal soil for cultivation, embodying the harmony of the六合 (Six Directions).” The formation of Chinese characters shows a distinct preference for square space; the relentless pursuit of symmetry and balance in Chinese characters constitutes an intrinsic, objective-subjective element of calligraphic art.