Ma Zhengtian

Ma Zhengtian, style name Liangfu, has been passionate about calligraphy and painting since childhood. In the early 1980s, he studied calligraphy under the renowned calligrapher and educator Master Yao Junqing. He diligently practiced ancient steles and rubbings daily, and later received guidance from Master Bai Qing, the founder of the Baiqing style, dedicating himself to the in-depth study of classical calligraphy styles of Ouyang Xun and Liu Gongquan. He is currently a member of the China Calligraphers and Painters Association, Jilin Province Calligraphers and Painters Research Association, and President of Longyan Hall Calligraphy and Painting Academy. Over the past forty years of studying calligraphy, he has never ceased his brushwork: “I have no taste for tobacco, alcohol, or tea; my heart is devoted to poetry, calligraphy, and painting.” For decades, he has regarded calligraphy as a great joy and a cherished amateur pursuit in his spiritual life. He is currently a member of the China Hard-Pen Calligraphers Association, a Senior Calligraphy Instructor of the China Hard-Pen Calligraphy Association, an invigilator for the China Calligraphy and Painting Assessment Examination, a member of the China Dagong News Calligraphy and Painting Academy, a member of the Jilin Province Elderly Calligraphers and Painters Research Association, and a resident artist of the Jilin Longshou Calligraphy and Painting Museum. For many years, he has persistently practiced the masterpieces of Mi Fu, Wang Xizhi, and other renowned calligraphers throughout history, while emphasizing the absorption of nourishment from ancient masters. He frequently visits and participates in domestic and international calligraphy exhibitions and competitions, drawing essence from them; his style never seeks eccentricity. Instead, he embraces the natural and effortless beauty—writing with discipline, living with integrity. He excels in regular script, running script, cursive script, and clerical script, making him a rare and formidable calligrapher proficient in five scripts. His stylistic characteristics highlight the integration of inheritance and innovation: softness infused with strength, endless variation, expressive forms seeking spirit through transformation. His regular script draws heavily from Yan Zhenqing, demonstrating profound traditional foundations, balanced and perfect structure, adhering to ancient models without being bound by them. His running and cursive scripts follow the models of Mi Fu and other historical masters, blending running and cursive styles harmoniously, combining firmness with grace, flowing with elegance and clarity, with seamless rhythm and abundant, vigorous brushwork, forming a distinctive personal style. Building on years of practice in running and cursive script, he has uniquely pioneered the “flying white” brush technique—robust, ancient, elegant, and richly textured, establishing his own unique school, truly a masterful achievement that invites deep contemplation.