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Cheng Xinjie
Cheng Xinjie
Personal Profile
Cheng Xinjie was born on February 9, 1963, in Chengying Village, Zhidian Town, Shenqiu County, Henan Province, into a peasant family. His courtesy name is Huanzhi, and his artistic name is Aoxiang; his studio names are "Mige Caoyun" and "Shangxinzhai." He is currently a member of the Shenqiu County Calligraphers Association, a senior calligrapher at the Henan Zhongyuan Academy of Painting and Calligraphy, a member of the China Practical Calligraphers and Painters Association, a member of the Henan Calligraphers Association, and a council member of the Global Chinese General Association Research Institute, among other positions.
Influenced by his grandfather, Mr. Cheng Liangchen, he developed a deep love for calligraphy from childhood. Due to numerous daily responsibilities, his progress was gradual. He has collected many famous calligraphy models from various dynasties and, whenever free, delves into their study, immersing himself in their essence. Over time, he has gained some insight into the principles of calligraphy. He specializes in running script and cursive script, imitating Yu Youren’s “Thousand Character Classic in Cursive Script,” the “Complete Collection of Mao Zedong’s Calligraphy,” and handwritten Mao-style wild cursive script models. He received personal guidance from renowned local calligrapher Mr. Tang Jingming and meticulous instruction from nationally acclaimed calligrapher Mr. Tang Siling. He also benefited from the teachings of national first-class calligrapher Mr. Zhang Dongjin and Master Shi Yongqing, a Chan monk from Shaolin Temple on Mount Song. Many people, when discussing Cheng Xinjie’s calligraphy, remark that he is a multi-talented individual whose innate talent particularly excels in cursive script, with a powerful and majestic style. However, when asked about his representative works, they often shake their heads silently. Some may recall his imitations of famous poetic works such as “Seven-Character Regulated Verse: The Long March,” “Qinyuanchun: Snow,” “Qingpingyue: Liupan Mountain,” and “Busuanzi: Ode to Plum Blossoms.” But if further questioned about the origins of Mao’s calligraphic style or his mentors, most remain unaware; some simply reply: “No specific school or lineage—he is self-taught and unique,” much like Huo Yuanjia’s enigmatic “Mizong Quan” martial art, which defies clear categorization. This perspective seems reasonable. However, every artist’s success, regardless of whom they study, follows a developmental journey. Their achievements actually stem from absorbing the essence of what they have learned. Cheng Xinjie writes beautifully because he excels at learning, assimilating, summarizing experience, and achieving inner comprehension. Whenever he tires from practice, he sings a popular song.
Given this, let us appreciate Cheng Xinjie’s calligraphy by examining his learning journey and environmental context. Surveying his works, his early period focused primarily on regular script and semi-cursive script, adopting the outward and inward brush techniques of the Two Wangs, with character structures that are unusually dynamic and tilted for compositional effect. Later, beyond the Two Wangs, he took Zhang Xu and Huai Su as his primary models, evolving his character momentum from tilted imbalance to “returning to balanced stability.” Since his youth, around the age of ten, Cheng Xinjie began writing and sketching on the ground with chalk, copying Ouyang Xun’s “Jiucheng Palace Liqueur Spring Inscription,” Wang Xizhi’s “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion,” and small regular scripts from the Jin and Tang dynasties. He also transcribed “Three Character Classic” and “Yu Youren’s Thousand Character Classic in Cursive Script.” At eighteen, upon entering society, he created his own pleasures in daily life—practicing calligraphy mentally and visually. When standing practice tired him, he sang classic songs by famous singers such as Jiang Dawei, Yang Hongji, Tong Tiexin, Dai Yuqiang, and Liao Changyong. Since then, combining labor with leisure, he found great interest in studying calligraphy. Cheng Xinjie’s small running script adopts the dignified elegance of regular script, presenting neat, strict compositions throughout, while incorporating the fluidity and dynamism of cursive script—“ink falling like drifting clouds and mist.” His characters are elongated; his brushwork primarily uses concealed-tip, rounded strokes; his structure combines square and round elements, blending strength with grace. Each character exudes powerful bone structure, innovative spacing, and cleverness within apparent simplicity: “Even if not perfectly upright, each character radiates a spirited vitality.” In bending strokes, steel-like hooks emerge; in connecting strokes, needles of strength plunge straight down with the force of a thousand jun. Spacing between characters is sparse, while line density is dense—like ten thousand galloping horses, or a symphonic orchestra playing complex, interwoven melodies. His brush alternates between swift and hesitant, dry and moist, with broken strokes yet continuous intent, brimming with delightful charm. The momentum flows seamlessly from beginning to end. His works are collected by institutions including the Henan Zhongyuan Academy of Painting and Calligraphy, the Shaanxi Provincial Global Chinese General Association, travel agencies in Anhui Province, Shanxi Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and travel agencies in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai. In terms of artistic achievements, he won the second prize in the 2016 Global Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Competition, an excellence award in the “7th National Painting and Calligraphy Competition 2018,” and another excellence award in the “9th National Painting and Calligraphy Competition 2018.” His calligraphic art embodies thousands of years of Chinese cultural depth and possesses profound traditional skill, and moreover, he has been greatly influenced by the cultural environment of the Central Plains region.
Given this, let us appreciate Cheng Xinjie’s calligraphy by examining his learning journey and environmental context. Surveying his works, his early period focused primarily on regular script and semi-cursive script, adopting the outward and inward brush techniques of the Two Wangs, with character structures that are unusually dynamic and tilted for compositional effect. Later, beyond the Two Wangs, he took Zhang Xu and Huai Su as his primary models, evolving his character momentum from tilted imbalance to “returning to balanced stability.” Since his youth, around the age of ten, Cheng Xinjie began writing and sketching on the ground with chalk, copying Ouyang Xun’s “Jiucheng Palace Liqueur Spring Inscription,” Wang Xizhi’s “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion,” and small regular scripts from the Jin and Tang dynasties. He also transcribed “Three Character Classic” and “Yu Youren’s Thousand Character Classic in Cursive Script.” At eighteen, upon entering society, he created his own pleasures in daily life—practicing calligraphy mentally and visually. When standing practice tired him, he sang classic songs by famous singers such as Jiang Dawei, Yang Hongji, Tong Tiexin, Dai Yuqiang, and Liao Changyong. Since then, combining labor with leisure, he found great interest in studying calligraphy. Cheng Xinjie’s small running script adopts the dignified elegance of regular script, presenting neat, strict compositions throughout, while incorporating the fluidity and dynamism of cursive script—“ink falling like drifting clouds and mist.” His characters are elongated; his brushwork primarily uses concealed-tip, rounded strokes; his structure combines square and round elements, blending strength with grace. Each character exudes powerful bone structure, innovative spacing, and cleverness within apparent simplicity: “Even if not perfectly upright, each character radiates a spirited vitality.” In bending strokes, steel-like hooks emerge; in connecting strokes, needles of strength plunge straight down with the force of a thousand jun. Spacing between characters is sparse, while line density is dense—like ten thousand galloping horses, or a symphonic orchestra playing complex, interwoven melodies. His brush alternates between swift and hesitant, dry and moist, with broken strokes yet continuous intent, brimming with delightful charm. The momentum flows seamlessly from beginning to end. His works are collected by institutions including the Henan Zhongyuan Academy of Painting and Calligraphy, the Shaanxi Provincial Global Chinese General Association, travel agencies in Anhui Province, Shanxi Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and travel agencies in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai. In terms of artistic achievements, he won the second prize in the 2016 Global Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Competition, an excellence award in the “7th National Painting and Calligraphy Competition 2018,” and another excellence award in the “9th National Painting and Calligraphy Competition 2018.” His calligraphic art embodies thousands of years of Chinese cultural depth and possesses profound traditional skill, and moreover, he has been greatly influenced by the cultural environment of the Central Plains region.
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Cheng Xinjie