【Reporter: Shi Yao-Yu】

The National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, in collaboration with artist and legislator Huang Guoshu, is hosting the “Qixie Guo Ling – Huang Guoshu Calligraphy Exhibition” in the Wenhua Hall. This is Huang Guoshu’s second large-scale solo exhibition in 14 years. The exhibition uses calligraphy to express the creator’s care and gratitude for the land, while showcasing a wide variety of innovative ink designs and calligraphic styles drawn from multiple sources.

The “Qixie Guo Ling Calligraphy Exhibition” is a reflection of Huang Guoshu’s fifty years of dedication to calligraphy. It offers a retrospective of his various stages in the art, as well as a new “beginning” for this phase. The exhibition is divided into four main themes: “Vertical and Horizontal – Connecting Past and Present,” “Combining Strength and Flexibility,” “A Thousand Miles in a Tiny Space,” and “Flowing Like Clouds and Water,” featuring a total of 115 works.

Dr. Ye Guoshin, founder of the Mo Hai Lou International Art Research Institute, the exhibition curator, explained that Huang Guoshu’s works draw from the strengths of both ancient masters and contemporary visual arts. Through his unique fusion and innovation, Huang integrates classical poetry and proverbs that represent Taiwan’s local spirit, such as “Formosa,” “Qixie Guo Ling,” “Enjoy the Sound of the Grassland Drums,” and “Heaven Blesses the Fool.”

In his speech, Minister of Culture, Lee Yong-de, described Huang Guoshu as “Taiwan’s dual-threat, Shohei Ohtani of the art world,” who is also a major figure in politics. In the art world, Huang has reached the national stage, excelling in a range of calligraphic styles, including seal script, clerical script, regular script, running script, and cursive script. His works are diverse and highly dynamic, much like Shohei Ohtani’s versatile skills in baseball, with each style offering a unique aesthetic and a high degree of visual appeal.

Director of the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Wang Lan-Sheng, remarked that the exhibition boasts remarkable visual appeal, with each piece being a masterpiece. It includes hanging scrolls, couplets, single works, and smaller pieces. The exhibition design has thoughtfully considered the size, color, and arrangement of the works. Beyond the calligraphy, viewers will also encounter the heroic spirit of martial arts, life wisdom from ancient texts, Buddhist verses full of Zen, and the rustic charm of folk customs. All of this complements the dignified ambiance of the Wenhua Hall.

The exhibition features many new works, particularly “Let the World Be for All,” created in honor of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Taiwan Cultural Association on October 17. The artist hopes that visitors will join him in supporting democracy and encouraging others to do the same.