About Me and Project Chinese Calligraphy:
Growing up on a small island with little connection to a city life I am used to now, I did not get much insight in the Chinese culture. My parents, being some of the only Chinese immigrants, could not find the means of obtaining things and objects that one would naturally find back in Mainland because they simply did not exist on the small island. Seldom did I celebrate popping fire crackers until later when I returned to China to live with my grandparents. Then, I did what every little kid on my street of five houses did. We ate honey cooled strawberries on a stick. We had hikes on the mountain where an adventure land was abandoned. Most of all, we had houses with our own distinct posters of ancestors, men holding scrolls over a red background. And life was good.
Every three years, the whole family would return to visit relatives back. And us girls would get to play dress up...almost like wedding photos. The venues, I can remember distinctly, were decorated with red for love and good fortune. So I got the idea over the summer of 2014 that I would like to explore into the Chinese culture. Then, Project Chinese Calligraphy started. The above photograph is my sister, Connie, aged five trying on different traditional dresses. It is important to note that often, clothes will often be embroidered with words in a certain writing style. Written word plays a major role in the Chinese culture essentially creating the distinct visual appearance of the language today. It also celebrates the tremendous history of Chinese culture that still exists today and I hope, will continue into the future. Th red qipaos behind her were made in a traditional manner. The one Connie is wearing in the photo is a contemporary modernised one which features many European styles but still retains some of the design that is atypical to Chinese culture on her top part. The white dresses are also made in this fashion. But it is important to note how Chinese fashion continues to be loved and flourished as does Chinese Calligraphy.
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The Personal Project is a project aimed to expand a 10th grader's scope. In the Canadian International School of Hong Kong, I must choose to explore an aspect in one of the themes newly created. I have chosen to research into the significance of Chinese calligraphy in daily lives. I will plan in order to create the product that I am aiming to create, which is a phrase written in calligraphy. Because to write in calligraphic means, practice is required. And correct practice and decoding of different words is a must.
Calligraphy has had a subtle but strong impact on my life because it is always there. I see different styles on signs all around Hong Kong. But the difference is that one is hand written, another mass produced. I will be sharing different aspects and stages of my process with my supervisor (an art teacher....she is awesome! >_< ) and creating a short video on the process of learning Chinese calligraphy from step one and presenting my final product, ultimately a piece of writing done in means of calligraphy. |