自然中的古文字
On going project — recording ancient Chinese characters in its various forms with seasons
A big part of my work focuses on the primordial roots of the written word: Oracle Bone Script (甲骨文), Bronze Inscriptions (金文), they both belong to the category of Great Seal Script (大篆).
In 甲骨文 (Oracle Bone Script), I find the raw, skeletal origins of communication. These characters were born from fire and divination, etched into bone with a sharp urgency. As my brush mimics these ancient incisions, I connect with the earliest human desire to record and reason with the seen and unseen world.
Moving into the heavier, more rhythmic lines of 金文 (Bronze Inscriptions), the practice becomes more resonant. The fluidity of characters cast in ritual bronze vessels teaches me about the “weight” of a line—how ink can carry the gravity of history while maintaining the flow of water.
These 大篆 (Great Seal Script) forms are the very roots of the Chinese language and calligraphy practices I am drawn to deeply and that I apply to my broader artistic folios.
More than three thousand years old but for me they are still Living Characters. Calligraphy is not confined to the scholar’s desk; it is a practice of everyday living. Whether I am applying ink to paper and silk, or tracing temporary strokes onto wood, petals, bark, and ice, the character remains a living entity. Writing on ice allows the character to melt back into the earth; writing on a petal allows it to wither and transform.
My practice is deeply tied to the turning of the year, treating the environment not just as a backdrop, but as a participant in the work. By writing on ephemeral materials—fallen autumn leaves, spring petals, winter ice, and summer bark—I engage in a dialogue with time itself. This ephemeral practice reminds me that art, like the ancient scripts that preceded us, is a continuous cycle of creation and return.
Winter “冬” came from “终”: end, finished.
you have to be on all fours at floor level to play with a baby/toddler, with wild hair, and of course on all fours too
Spring 泉 water streams out under rocky cliffs
fire 火 A big bonfire
Examples of oracle bones and bronze script on autumn leaves
Ancient Theatre
Have you ever seen a herd of deer running under the stars
while thunder is rolling far away?
The Chinese character “autumn” in five different script styles, on autumn leaves.
