Sun Ruicheng

Sun Ruicheng, styled Zhongming, art name Ninglan Zhai Master. Born in 1946 in Cang County, Hebei Province, ancestral home in Gaoyang, Hebei, and a direct descendant (13th generation) of Sun Chengzong, the renowned general and statesman of the late Ming Dynasty. Raised in humble circumstances, he developed a deep passion for painting and calligraphy under the influence of his father, Mr. Baoyou. By nature chivalrous and forthright, he has endured numerous hardships throughout his life. Nevertheless, his devotion to the art of painting and calligraphy remains unwavering; he extensively explores figure, flower-and-bird, and landscape subjects with particular affection. He is especially skilled in creating ink paintings using his fingers during quiet nights, frequently depicting Zhong Kui, court ladies, historical figures from Buddhist and Daoist traditions, as well as various spirits and demons—using these images to express his inner emotions. His works pursue an artistic individuality characterized by fluid brushwork, harmonious interplay of vigor and subtlety, unrestrained expression, and grandeur, while embodying profound spiritual resonance. His achievements have been featured in publications including the Overseas Edition of the People’s Daily, Hebei Daily, Shenyang Daily, Tianjin Daily, China Tourism News, Yi Zhi Calligraphy and Painting Newspaper, Calligraphy Newspaper, China Calligraphy and Painting Newspaper, Fine Arts Newspaper, and Fine Arts Review.

        Since 1986, he founded and established the Bohai Academy of Calligraphy and Painting and the Global Calligraphy and Painting Art Association. He has successfully organized over ten national and international large-scale exhibitions at venues such as Fragrant Hills in Beijing, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Rongbaozhai, Songzhuang Calligraphers’ Village, Tianjin Art Museum, Wang Xuezong Art Gallery at Tianjin University, as well as in Akita, Japan, and Hamburg, Germany. He has held five international exchange exhibitions and solo finger-ink calligraphy exhibitions in Japan. He has edited and published two volumes of “Masterpieces of Ink Friends’ Calligraphy and Painting,” one volume of “Guide to the Global Calligraphy and Painting Art Market,” five volumes of “Biographical Records of Calligraphy and Painting Figures,” “Techniques of Freehand Peony Painting,” and “Techniques of Color Ink Painting of Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum.” He has organized multiple large-scale专场 auctions of calligraphy and painting works in Beijing, Tianjin, Shenyang, and other cities. His biography has been included in numerous reference works such as “Collection of Contemporary Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Masters,” “World Catalogue of Calligraphers and Painters,” and “Comprehensive Dictionary of Contemporary Calligraphers and Painters.” Dozens of media outlets—including CCTV, provincial and municipal television stations, Tianjin Television, Shenyang Television, NHK Broadcasting Corporation of Japan, the People’s Daily (Overseas Edition), and China Calligraphy and Painting Newspaper—have produced special reports on him. He currently serves as President of the Bohai Academy of Calligraphy and Painting and Chairman of the Global Calligraphy and Painting Art Association.