Zhou Kaichang

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Zhou Kaichangmian's Personal Profile and Artistic Works
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Introduction to Painter Zhou Kaichangmian and Calligrapher Zhou Kaichangmian

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Zhou Kaichang

Personal Profile

Zhou Kaichang, styled Hanhan, known as the Hermit of Baya Hall, is a member of the Chinese Academy of Calligraphy and Painting, a National First-Class Calligrapher and Painter, Vice President of the Guangxi Branch of the Wu Men Baya Calligraphy and Painting Institute, a council member of the China Celebrity Calligraphy and Painting Art Center, a researcher appointed by the China International Calligraphy and Painting Art Research Society, Vice President of the China Dongyi Calligraphy and Painting Research Institute, a member of the Art Committee of Cangpin Art Network, and a contracted calligrapher and painter. He is a direct disciple of the renowned calligrapher and painter Wu Junbin and a second-generation disciple of Huang Zhou. Born in 1954 in Guilin, Guangxi, he is currently a member of the China Society for Elderly Calligraphy and Painting, a council member of the Guilin Society for Elderly Calligraphy and Painting, a member of the Guangxi Calligraphers Association, a member of the China News and Publishing Calligraphers Association, a member of the Guilin Calligraphers Association, a member of the Guilin Workers’ Fine Arts Association, President of the Xing’an Calligraphy and Painting Art Research Institute, and a council member of the Xing’an Calligraphers Association. Personally devoted to calligraphy and painting, he has persistently pursued self-study since beginning his formal study of calligraphy in 1987, diligently copying ancient models and extensively exploring seal, clerical, regular, running, and cursive scripts. In recent years, he has also taken up painting under masters. He has mastered all script styles, achieving great mastery in ink and brushwork—technique rooted in the sage’s exquisite brushwork—Record of the Renowned Calligrapher and Painter Zhou Kaichang. Zhou Kaichang’s study of calligraphy and painting began with heartfelt passion. Those who truly love art can enter its realm and become masters. Zhou has devoted his mind and body to the art of calligraphy and painting, through meticulous copying of ancient steles and scrolls, he has absorbed the essence and techniques of calligraphy, effortlessly producing masterpieces with every brushstroke. Calligraphy and painting share the same origin; having mastered the true essence of calligraphy, Zhou has further enhanced his painting skills through his calligraphic discipline, thoroughly studying the “Jieziyuan Painting Manual” and closely copying famous works. With innate talent combined with diligent practice, he has fully integrated the techniques of detailed and freehand brushwork, achieving a profound and elegant artistic realm in ink and color. He does not take obscure or narrow paths in cultivating calligraphy, but follows the complete historical trajectory from its origins to maturity to acquire profound skill. To learn from the ancients, one must first understand them. Thus, his calligraphy begins with exploring the origins in oracle bone and bronze inscriptions, absorbing the “engraving” texture of ancient scripts into his brushwork. When viewing Zhou Kaichang’s calligraphy, one observes strokes that are brisk, pure, and simple, exuding antiquity and depth, clearly revealing the historical weight embedded in the origins of calligraphy. His brushwork is fundamentally rooted and orthodox, harmonizing roundness and angularity as beauty, favoring fluid, flowing lines—a clear result of his mastery of both seal scripts. In today’s calligraphy world, few practitioners devote themselves wholeheartedly to mastering seal script; without mastering seal script techniques, one cannot attain the full depth of expressive freedom, leaving a fundamental deficiency in foundational skill. His rigorous study of seal script ensures that his calligraphy never loses its ancestral roots. His brush lines always carry the smoothness and resilience of Qin dynasty seal script, balancing strength and gentleness, with rhythmic strokes of extension and retraction, forming musical cadences. The result resembles the resonant tones of an ancient guqin, possessing strong artistic penetration. Clerical script, as a matured calligraphic form, bridges the past and future and serves as the foundation of the eight major scripts. In his clerical script, Zhou emphasizes the essence of epigraphic study, emulating the diverse and beautiful styles of more than ten Han dynasty steles—some majestic, some vast and ancient, some elegant and graceful, some fluid, some resilient—all perfected in their completeness, demonstrating tremendous skill. His brushwork derives its rhythm from the stele’s texture, and the stele’s texture is revived through his brushwork; his profound epigraphic mastery places him among the great masters. In the process of refining Han clerical script, he established a solid foundation and rich clerical rhythm as the core character of his style. From this base, his mastery of other scripts advanced rapidly and with remarkable quality. He studied the four great楷 styles—Liu, Yan, Ouyang, and Zhao—mastering them all. His regular script is primarily based on Ouyang Xun’s style, elegant and refined, possessing both backbone and gentleness; such mastery cannot be achieved without a decade of dedicated practice. While studying Ouyang’s regular script, he paid attention not only to emulating Ouyang but also transforming him, reconfiguring Ouyang’s brush techniques into a personalized aesthetic form, developing his own unique artistic style. For instance, in his vertical strokes, he shapes the ending like a spearhead—unconventional in technique, exquisite in quality—creating a distinctive visual signature: “Zhou Kai’s Regular Script.” His ability to learn from the ancients while innovating makes Zhou Kaichang a leading master who carries calligraphy from its historical depths into the new era. In terms of regular script achievement, he stands shoulder to shoulder with contemporary master Tian Yunchang. One master transformed Ouyang’s style into “Tian Kai,” the other into “Zhou Kai.” To achieve great mastery in calligraphy, one must also cultivate running and cursive scripts. Zhou’s running script follows the Wangs—Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi—meticulously studying the “Lanting Xu” and “Zhongqiu Tie,” fully grasping the free-spirited, law-transcending essence of their calligraphy, resulting in running script that is ethereal and graceful, with superb brushwork and ink rhythm. His cursive script takes Zhang Xu as his master and Huaisu as his model, with brushstrokes as wild and dynamic as flying dragons and dancing phoenixes, freely unrestrained, powerfully expressing his inner emotions. His lines resemble spring snakes and summer worms, vivid and full of vitality; his calligraphy truly expresses emotion, making it a masterpiece. Zhou Kaichang’s talent as a painter also stems from his mastery as a calligrapher. He transfers the spirit and rhythm of calligraphy into his painting, excelling in both detailed and freehand styles. His painting subjects are wide-ranging and diverse; he can take any object and transform it into a beautiful composition. His freehand horses embody the spirit and energy of Xu Beihong’s famous horse paintings. His ink-wash shrimps perfectly capture Qi Baishi’s artistic achievement of being “between resemblance and non-resemblance.” His flowers, birds, and animals are rendered with refined, elegant colors—down-to-earth in quality, pleasing to the eye and touching the heart. Beyond his exceptional technique, his work overflows with wisdom; his ink-and-color artistry has earned him great renown. Mastered in all scripts, achieving great mastery in ink and brushwork—technique rooted in the sage’s exquisite brushwork. On the path of artistic cultivation, Zhou Kaichang is both a guardian of traditional culture and an innovator opening a new school of calligraphy and painting. His deep devotion and pursuit of calligraphy and painting have not only realized his artistic ideals but also become a model admired by countless artists. Art Director, Huayi Shuyun Cultural Media, Renowned Calligraphy and Painting Critic Shi Feng, April 10, 2018.

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