SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, AT THE TUAN MONG HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI’S CALLIGRAPHY EXHIBITION AT NGEE ANN CULTURAL CENTRE, TEOCHEW BUILDING, ON FRIDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2004 AT 5.30 PM

Mr Lim Lee Meng,
President of Tuan Mong High School Alumni Association

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

         It gives me great pleasure to join you at today's calligraphy exhibition jointly organised by Ngee Ann Cultural Centre and Tuan Mong High School Alumni Association.  The event provides an opportunity for art lovers to come together, and appreciate and share ideas about this ancient Chinese art.  It is also a time to meet up with friends, and keep the tradition of the Tuan Mong High School alumni alive.

Calligraphy’s Continuing Appeal
2.      Chinese calligraphy is often regarded as the most sublime form of art in Chinese culture.  In earlier times, it was not just a matter of cultural tradition.  During the imperial era in China, calligraphy was in fact an important criterion for selection of officials for the imperial court.  Candidates who showed great skill in calligraphy were assessed to be capable of careful planning and confident execution, both important qualities required by the court.

3.      What is remarkable, for an ancient tradition dating back to the sayings found in ancient Chinese scriptures, is the fact that Chinese calligraphy remains very much alive today.  Exponents of this art take pride in being able to learn and transmit the wisdom and values of a centuries-old culture.  And especially in the last 50 years, there has been an explosion of innovation in the art in China itself.  The ideas expressed in calligraphy provide fascinating insight into life in modern China.

4.      For learners of the Chinese language, in our schools and in the community, calligraphy allows the discovery of the poetic beauty of the language, and stimulates a desire to gain greater proficiency in the Chinese language.

5.      But even for those who do not read the Chinese language, there is great enjoyment to be derived in appreciating the abstract beauty of calligraphy, and the subtlety of its varied forms – from the graceful, to the mysterious, to the bold and exuberant.  It explains why, although it is an art form which is unique to Asia, it has captured the imagination of artists and art lovers all over the world.

6.      Chinese calligraphy has indeed permeated Western and other art forms over the ages.  Picasso once said “Had I been born Chinese, I would have been a calligrapher, not a painter”.  Many Westerners are gaining interest in what they call ‘the art of the line’, which is expressed in calligraphy.  The influences are now two-way.  The ‘modernist’ trend in Chinese calligraphy has drawn inspiration from other arts, both Asian and Western.

Calligraphy as Creative Education
7.      Learning calligraphy is a ‘quiet’ sort of education, but an intense one.  By inculcating patience and discipline in the student, and providing room to express your imagination, it develops valuable skills.  Calligraphy also involves qualities that are at the core of almost all creative endeavour.  Creativity, whether in the sciences or the arts, has never been only a matter of natural flair, or of freeing yourself of restrictions.  Most creative acts are indeed the outcome of a highly disciplined process, involving careful thought and extensive practice and experimentation.  So too it is with calligraphy.  While it requires one to exercise great control, the final expression is often highly creative.

Transcending Boundaries
8.      In Singapore, the reach and influence of Chinese Calligraphy is gaining much ground.  A recent example was reported in the “Thumbs Up” weekly publication.  A pair of Malay siblings, Primary 5 pupil Radyiatul Mardyiah Binti Othman, together with her brother Rahman Syukri, from Lakeside Primary joined the calligraphy class organised by the school early this year.[1]   Sometime in July this year, the school submitted one of Radyiatul’s works, entitled “Racial Harmony” [‘种族和谐’ (Zhong3 Zu2 He2 Xie2)], to an international children’s calligraphy competition jointly organised by Zhengzhou in China, and Blagovescensk in Russia.  To her surprise and delight, it came back with a silver award.