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Xu Shaolin
Xu Shaolin
Personal Profile
Xu Shaolin, formerly known as Xu Shaolin, styled Chenggan, with studio names Mugushanfang and Zimoxuan, is a renowned contemporary Chinese calligrapher, a nationally recognized calligraphy educator, and founder of Mugushuyuan Academy. Born in 1972 in Tancheng, Shandong, he currently resides in Qingzhou, Shandong. He currently serves as a visiting professor of calligraphy at Shanghai Open University, instructor of the calligraphy research class at Qingzhou Cultural Center, calligraphy instructor at Qingzhou Zhongchen Art Town Training Center, calligraphy instructor for Qingzhou primary and secondary school art and physical education teachers’ research class, and calligraphy instructor for Qingzhou Cigarette Factory’s calligraphy training program.
He began practicing calligraphy from childhood and studied under the renowned Tancheng calligrapher Mr. Xu Shuchao in 1990, practicing diligently for forty years without interruption. In May 1994, at the age of 22, he held his first solo calligraphy exhibition in Linyi. In 1998, he won the third prize in the Ministry of Culture’s “Qunxing Cup” Calligraphy Exhibition. For decades, he has devoted himself wholeheartedly to calligraphy study and academic research, never seeking fame or recognition, nor showing enthusiasm for exhibitions or association memberships. He studied successively at the Chinese Calligraphy Academy of the China Art Research Institute and the China Academy of Art, receiving instruction from numerous esteemed masters at both institutions.
Thirty years ago, he began with Tang dynasty regular script, studying Yan Zhenqing’s “Duobao Pagoda Stele” and “Qinli Stele,” as well as Liu Gongquan’s “Xuanmi Pagoda Stele” and “Shencejun Stele.” For running script, he started with Wang Xizhi’s “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion” and “Preface to the Sacred Teachings.” He thoroughly practiced running and cursive scripts from the Wang family (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi), as well as works by the Four Masters of the Song Dynasty: Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, and Cai Xiang. Beyond the Wangs, for cursive script he deeply studied Sun Guoting’s “Shupu,” Zhiyong’s “Thousand Character Classic in Cursive Script,” “Daguan Tie,” Huaisu’s “Self-Preface,” Zhang Xu’s “Four Ancient Poems,” and cursive script ink traces by Wang Duo and Fu Shan.
From 2012 to 2013, he furthered his studies at the Chinese Calligraphy Academy of the China Art Research Institute, receiving meticulous guidance from over thirty instructors including Wo Xinghua, Zhang Yuxiang, Chen Zhongkang, Yang Tao, Guan Jun, Mao Guodian, Zeng Xiang, and Chen Hailiang. He systematically and comprehensively studied the history of Chinese calligraphy, ancient philology, and the evolution of the five script styles. Starting with Li Si’s “Yishan Stele” in small seal script from the Qin dynasty, he copied comprehensively Han dynasty’s “Yuan An Stele,” Tang dynasty Li Yangbing’s “Sanfen Ji,” and seal and clerical script masterpieces by Qing dynasty calligraphers Deng Shiru and Wu Rangzhi. Later, he became deeply absorbed in large seal script, diligently practicing Shang dynasty “Oracle Bone Script,” Western Zhou bronze inscriptions such as “Da Yu Ding,” “Guoji Zibai Pan,” “San Shi Pan,” “Stone Drum Script,” Qin dynasty “Edict Plaques,” and “Weights and Measures Inscriptions.” He then returned to Han dynasty steles such as “Cao Quan Stele,” “Liqi Stele,” “Ying Stele,” “Shimen Song,” and “Zhang Qian Stele,” conducting research-oriented copying and analysis, studying their brushwork techniques, character structure principles, and stylistic features.
From 2013 to 2015, he entered the Calligraphy and Seal Carving Department of the China Academy of Art for further study, receiving instruction from over ten renowned masters including Zhou Zhen, Liang Xiaojun, and Shi Ligang. He once again undertook in-depth study of the five script styles—seal, clerical, cursive, regular, and running—and conducted systematic research on brush techniques in Wei dynasty steles and Jin dynasty small regular script. Starting with ink traces such as Wang Xizhi’s “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion,” Sui dynasty Zhiyong’s “Thousand Character Classic in Regular and Cursive Script,” Tang dynasty Chu Suiliang’s large-character “Yinfu Jing,” Sun Guoting’s “Shupu,” and Zhong Shaojing’s small regular script “Lingfei Jing,” he researched ancient writing patterns, brush techniques, and reconstructed the physical writing motions of the ancients.
Through nearly five years of specialized study at these two top-tier art institutions, his insights into calligraphy creation and education have deepened profoundly. He always remembers his mentors’ teachings: In China, few can truly be called both accomplished calligraphers and excellent teachers. China does not lack calligraphers—it lacks calligraphy educators! You must become teacher-calligraphers and calligrapher-teachers.
Based on this conviction, in March 2015 he founded Mugushuyuan Academy in Hangzhou, focusing on professional calligraphy research and advanced calligraphy pedagogy. He advocates the teaching philosophy of “Calligraphy is life; its principles follow nature,” emphasizing the relationship between traditional brush techniques and natural writing across the five script styles—“When brush techniques are mastered, all five scripts become accessible.” Through verification and practice using ink, brush, and paper from classical steles and scrolls throughout history, he deeply investigates and dissects ancient brush methods and reconstructs the physical writing motions of the ancients, reinforcing decomposition and application of brush techniques, and summarizing a set of easily understandable and accessible learning methods.
In response to the call for a great cultural renaissance in the new era under the 19th National Congress, he actively conducts public lectures on brush techniques nationwide. From January 2016 to December 2019, he held public calligraphy education events in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province; Longgang District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province; Pudong Campus of Shanghai Open University; Huzhou City Library, Zhejiang Province; Linyi City Art Museum, Shandong Province; Zichuan District Calligraphy Association, Zibo City; Weifang University, Weifang City; Tancheng County Library; Zhongchen Art Town, Qingzhou City; and Qingzhou TV’s “Hanmo Qingzhou” program. After becoming one of the first resident artists at Qingzhou’s Xiaozhen Dajia Art District in Shandong Province in November 2018, he propelled calligraphy education to new heights.
In his calligraphy teaching, he integrates the pedagogical systems of the Chinese Calligraphy Academy and the China Academy of Art with his own decades of personal practice and teaching experience, systematically and comprehensively explaining brush techniques, character structure, composition, and ink application for seal, clerical, regular, running, and cursive scripts—from foundational training to precise copying, reinforcing effective learning methods to enable students to quickly master traditional brush techniques and correct writing skills. Thus, he addresses practical learning difficulties faced by many calligraphy enthusiasts, shortening the time required for professional study, earning widespread acclaim from professional calligraphers and enthusiasts alike. His students, now numbering over two thousand, come from more than ten provinces including Hunan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Shandong, Xinjiang, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Anhui.
For decades, his profound ability to absorb and assimilate traditional Chinese calligraphic art, continuously drawing nourishment from the spirit and essence of ancient masters, combined with in-depth research and careful creation, has yielded abundant results, establishing him as a quintessential teacher-calligrapher and calligrapher-teacher. Mr. Xin Min, commentator for “Culture China” and nationally renowned art critic, titled his commentary on Xu Shaolin’s calligraphy art: “A Shandong Man with the Spirit of Wei-Jin.” He writes: Xu’s brushwork is always calm and rigorous; every stroke penetrates the paper with force, without a single careless or impetuous mark. In creation, he seems to travel back to ancient Wei-Jin times, engaging in spiritual dialogue with kindred souls of that era. Xu Shaolin’s art reveals his repeated inner alchemy of the soul.
Appendix: A Shandong Man with the Spirit of Wei-Jin ——The Calligraphy Art of Xu Shaolin
Xin Min: Commentator for “Culture China,” Art Critic The emergence of the Wei-Jin calligraphic style heralded an era of cultural freedom, a naturally harmonious society most enviable to humanity. History, traversing across time and space, leaves us wondering whether human freedom in cultural understanding is also separated by a distant night sky, preserving an infinitely beautiful constellation, flowing with primal authenticity and accompanied by celestial lyricism. Wei-Jin culture exudes an ancient ease, embodying the true harmony between all things and nature. This freedom genuinely initiated the beginning of Fengya Song; Wei-Jin calligraphy was not merely individual soul-portrayal but a collaboration between humanity and nature. It preserved an eternal resonance that still lingers in the hearts of contemporary reclusive intellectuals.
Xu Shaolin, director of Hangzhou’s Mugushuyuan Academy and an accomplished calligrapher, is one such figure. Having studied for nearly five years at the Chinese Calligraphy Academy and China Academy of Art, he excels in all five script styles, especially large-character calligraphy. With a northern man’s appearance but southern temperament, possessing chivalrous courage and integrity, his calligraphy mirrors his character—bold and imposing. Given time, he may become a pillar of the calligraphy world.
Xu Shaolin was born and raised in Tancheng County, Linyi City, Shandong—the hometown of Wang Xizhi. Passionate about calligraphy since childhood, his character embodies the quintessential Shandong man’s unbending integrity, and his calligraphy vividly reflects his upright and forthright nature, while simultaneously evoking the brush techniques of the Wei-Jin period. While contemporary culture inflates egos through ostentation and exaggeration for fame and profit, Xu Shaolin differs. His brushwork remains always calm and rigorous; every stroke penetrates the paper with force, without a single careless or impetuous mark. In creation, he seems to travel back to ancient Wei-Jin times, engaging in spiritual dialogue with kindred souls of that era. Xu Shaolin’s art reveals his repeated inner alchemy of the soul. Contemporary cultural elites often exploit awards, grand publicity, and staged performances for underhanded operations, climbing to the top while tainted by the stench of money. Although Xu Shaolin studied for years at China’s two premier art institutions and learned from many renowned masters, he harbors no desire for fame or recognition, avoids exhibitions and associations, and devotes himself solely to his art. His work’s transcendence starkly contrasts with that “aristocratic culture”; it flows from the fields, from the wilderness, from the natural world of heaven and earth. April 10, 2019
He began practicing calligraphy from childhood and studied under the renowned Tancheng calligrapher Mr. Xu Shuchao in 1990, practicing diligently for forty years without interruption. In May 1994, at the age of 22, he held his first solo calligraphy exhibition in Linyi. In 1998, he won the third prize in the Ministry of Culture’s “Qunxing Cup” Calligraphy Exhibition. For decades, he has devoted himself wholeheartedly to calligraphy study and academic research, never seeking fame or recognition, nor showing enthusiasm for exhibitions or association memberships. He studied successively at the Chinese Calligraphy Academy of the China Art Research Institute and the China Academy of Art, receiving instruction from numerous esteemed masters at both institutions.
Thirty years ago, he began with Tang dynasty regular script, studying Yan Zhenqing’s “Duobao Pagoda Stele” and “Qinli Stele,” as well as Liu Gongquan’s “Xuanmi Pagoda Stele” and “Shencejun Stele.” For running script, he started with Wang Xizhi’s “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion” and “Preface to the Sacred Teachings.” He thoroughly practiced running and cursive scripts from the Wang family (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi), as well as works by the Four Masters of the Song Dynasty: Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, and Cai Xiang. Beyond the Wangs, for cursive script he deeply studied Sun Guoting’s “Shupu,” Zhiyong’s “Thousand Character Classic in Cursive Script,” “Daguan Tie,” Huaisu’s “Self-Preface,” Zhang Xu’s “Four Ancient Poems,” and cursive script ink traces by Wang Duo and Fu Shan.
From 2012 to 2013, he furthered his studies at the Chinese Calligraphy Academy of the China Art Research Institute, receiving meticulous guidance from over thirty instructors including Wo Xinghua, Zhang Yuxiang, Chen Zhongkang, Yang Tao, Guan Jun, Mao Guodian, Zeng Xiang, and Chen Hailiang. He systematically and comprehensively studied the history of Chinese calligraphy, ancient philology, and the evolution of the five script styles. Starting with Li Si’s “Yishan Stele” in small seal script from the Qin dynasty, he copied comprehensively Han dynasty’s “Yuan An Stele,” Tang dynasty Li Yangbing’s “Sanfen Ji,” and seal and clerical script masterpieces by Qing dynasty calligraphers Deng Shiru and Wu Rangzhi. Later, he became deeply absorbed in large seal script, diligently practicing Shang dynasty “Oracle Bone Script,” Western Zhou bronze inscriptions such as “Da Yu Ding,” “Guoji Zibai Pan,” “San Shi Pan,” “Stone Drum Script,” Qin dynasty “Edict Plaques,” and “Weights and Measures Inscriptions.” He then returned to Han dynasty steles such as “Cao Quan Stele,” “Liqi Stele,” “Ying Stele,” “Shimen Song,” and “Zhang Qian Stele,” conducting research-oriented copying and analysis, studying their brushwork techniques, character structure principles, and stylistic features.
From 2013 to 2015, he entered the Calligraphy and Seal Carving Department of the China Academy of Art for further study, receiving instruction from over ten renowned masters including Zhou Zhen, Liang Xiaojun, and Shi Ligang. He once again undertook in-depth study of the five script styles—seal, clerical, cursive, regular, and running—and conducted systematic research on brush techniques in Wei dynasty steles and Jin dynasty small regular script. Starting with ink traces such as Wang Xizhi’s “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion,” Sui dynasty Zhiyong’s “Thousand Character Classic in Regular and Cursive Script,” Tang dynasty Chu Suiliang’s large-character “Yinfu Jing,” Sun Guoting’s “Shupu,” and Zhong Shaojing’s small regular script “Lingfei Jing,” he researched ancient writing patterns, brush techniques, and reconstructed the physical writing motions of the ancients.
Through nearly five years of specialized study at these two top-tier art institutions, his insights into calligraphy creation and education have deepened profoundly. He always remembers his mentors’ teachings: In China, few can truly be called both accomplished calligraphers and excellent teachers. China does not lack calligraphers—it lacks calligraphy educators! You must become teacher-calligraphers and calligrapher-teachers.
Based on this conviction, in March 2015 he founded Mugushuyuan Academy in Hangzhou, focusing on professional calligraphy research and advanced calligraphy pedagogy. He advocates the teaching philosophy of “Calligraphy is life; its principles follow nature,” emphasizing the relationship between traditional brush techniques and natural writing across the five script styles—“When brush techniques are mastered, all five scripts become accessible.” Through verification and practice using ink, brush, and paper from classical steles and scrolls throughout history, he deeply investigates and dissects ancient brush methods and reconstructs the physical writing motions of the ancients, reinforcing decomposition and application of brush techniques, and summarizing a set of easily understandable and accessible learning methods.
In response to the call for a great cultural renaissance in the new era under the 19th National Congress, he actively conducts public lectures on brush techniques nationwide. From January 2016 to December 2019, he held public calligraphy education events in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province; Longgang District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province; Pudong Campus of Shanghai Open University; Huzhou City Library, Zhejiang Province; Linyi City Art Museum, Shandong Province; Zichuan District Calligraphy Association, Zibo City; Weifang University, Weifang City; Tancheng County Library; Zhongchen Art Town, Qingzhou City; and Qingzhou TV’s “Hanmo Qingzhou” program. After becoming one of the first resident artists at Qingzhou’s Xiaozhen Dajia Art District in Shandong Province in November 2018, he propelled calligraphy education to new heights.
In his calligraphy teaching, he integrates the pedagogical systems of the Chinese Calligraphy Academy and the China Academy of Art with his own decades of personal practice and teaching experience, systematically and comprehensively explaining brush techniques, character structure, composition, and ink application for seal, clerical, regular, running, and cursive scripts—from foundational training to precise copying, reinforcing effective learning methods to enable students to quickly master traditional brush techniques and correct writing skills. Thus, he addresses practical learning difficulties faced by many calligraphy enthusiasts, shortening the time required for professional study, earning widespread acclaim from professional calligraphers and enthusiasts alike. His students, now numbering over two thousand, come from more than ten provinces including Hunan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Shandong, Xinjiang, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Anhui.
For decades, his profound ability to absorb and assimilate traditional Chinese calligraphic art, continuously drawing nourishment from the spirit and essence of ancient masters, combined with in-depth research and careful creation, has yielded abundant results, establishing him as a quintessential teacher-calligrapher and calligrapher-teacher. Mr. Xin Min, commentator for “Culture China” and nationally renowned art critic, titled his commentary on Xu Shaolin’s calligraphy art: “A Shandong Man with the Spirit of Wei-Jin.” He writes: Xu’s brushwork is always calm and rigorous; every stroke penetrates the paper with force, without a single careless or impetuous mark. In creation, he seems to travel back to ancient Wei-Jin times, engaging in spiritual dialogue with kindred souls of that era. Xu Shaolin’s art reveals his repeated inner alchemy of the soul.
Appendix: A Shandong Man with the Spirit of Wei-Jin ——The Calligraphy Art of Xu Shaolin
Xin Min: Commentator for “Culture China,” Art Critic The emergence of the Wei-Jin calligraphic style heralded an era of cultural freedom, a naturally harmonious society most enviable to humanity. History, traversing across time and space, leaves us wondering whether human freedom in cultural understanding is also separated by a distant night sky, preserving an infinitely beautiful constellation, flowing with primal authenticity and accompanied by celestial lyricism. Wei-Jin culture exudes an ancient ease, embodying the true harmony between all things and nature. This freedom genuinely initiated the beginning of Fengya Song; Wei-Jin calligraphy was not merely individual soul-portrayal but a collaboration between humanity and nature. It preserved an eternal resonance that still lingers in the hearts of contemporary reclusive intellectuals.
Xu Shaolin, director of Hangzhou’s Mugushuyuan Academy and an accomplished calligrapher, is one such figure. Having studied for nearly five years at the Chinese Calligraphy Academy and China Academy of Art, he excels in all five script styles, especially large-character calligraphy. With a northern man’s appearance but southern temperament, possessing chivalrous courage and integrity, his calligraphy mirrors his character—bold and imposing. Given time, he may become a pillar of the calligraphy world.
Xu Shaolin was born and raised in Tancheng County, Linyi City, Shandong—the hometown of Wang Xizhi. Passionate about calligraphy since childhood, his character embodies the quintessential Shandong man’s unbending integrity, and his calligraphy vividly reflects his upright and forthright nature, while simultaneously evoking the brush techniques of the Wei-Jin period. While contemporary culture inflates egos through ostentation and exaggeration for fame and profit, Xu Shaolin differs. His brushwork remains always calm and rigorous; every stroke penetrates the paper with force, without a single careless or impetuous mark. In creation, he seems to travel back to ancient Wei-Jin times, engaging in spiritual dialogue with kindred souls of that era. Xu Shaolin’s art reveals his repeated inner alchemy of the soul. Contemporary cultural elites often exploit awards, grand publicity, and staged performances for underhanded operations, climbing to the top while tainted by the stench of money. Although Xu Shaolin studied for years at China’s two premier art institutions and learned from many renowned masters, he harbors no desire for fame or recognition, avoids exhibitions and associations, and devotes himself solely to his art. His work’s transcendence starkly contrasts with that “aristocratic culture”; it flows from the fields, from the wilderness, from the natural world of heaven and earth. April 10, 2019
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Xu Shaolin