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Kung-Fu Ink

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The Opening Ceremony / 展览开幕式, 科恩先生及王厚堂先生做开幕演讲

The act of creating Chinese calligraphy occupies two dimensions of art fused in harmony, the kinetic and the pictorial. A dance of brushwork, often fluid, at times tense and sprung, releases ink onto paper in a single flow of energy through the brush. Nowhere is this more perfectly embodied than in the practice of Wang Hou Tang, a master and veteran both of calligraphy and Kung Fu. Mr.Wang invites us to value the performative expression of his body and hand movements as a process, itself a visual art form, as much as the resulting inked graphics, themselves a kind of black-on-white narrative dance of characters imprinted on paper. He is in effect pictographing a hypnotic martial arts performance where form follows function. 

Beyond the esthetic plane, Chinese metaphysical symbolism informs Mr. Wang's unity of action with inscription. He directs his inner life-force force of Qi to channel divine energy onto and into earthly matter. His Qi is a mystical choreography of creative energy. Mr.Wang argues that his art form transcends mere artistic expression; rather, it offers the visible illustration of transcendent opposites that become harmonies, mind/body, earth/sky, esthetic/mystical, dance/ink. Qi courses through him, reaching from his back to his shoulders, elbows, and wrists, and finally to the pen and ink. With each stroke, Qi merges with the ink, imprinting Chinese characters onto the white paper. This flow of Qi mirrors a series of kung fu movements, calligraphy come to life, denoting imagery of rushing streams, swirling cloudy mists and the passage of time.  

Mr. Wang was born in Shandong, China, and is a deeply schooled practitioner of martial arts, literature, and culture. He began learning martial arts at the age of 7, studying under a long tradition of famed masters. Also at the age of 7, Mr. Wang began practicing calligraphy, an artistic discipline he perpetuates of his own family's multigenerational heritage. For the past twenty years, he has practiced calligraphy for four hours a day, three hundred and thirty days a year, accumulating thirty thousand hours. Crafted by hand, his iron brush weighs over 40 pounds, yet under his time-seasoned fingers, it moves with refined fluidity, delivering bold emphatic strokes. Mr. Wang's practice takes place on a six-acre plot of land situated in downtown Yantai. There, amid a vibrant landscape of exotic flowers, mountain springs, and tranquil ponds, he has constructed a residence and garden, evoking the surroundings of China's great literati painters of old. (Article by Melik Kaylan, Cultural Critic and Journalist)

 

Kung Fu Ink / 功夫墨

Kung Fu embodies the essence of martial arts, while Ink stands as the core of calligraphy. Kung Fu ink is divided into five colors, representing a fusion of culture and martial arts, harmonizing the unity of heaven and earth. This serves as the central theme of Mr. Wang Houtang’s martial arts calligraphy exhibition. Additionally, Mr. Ethan Cohen has combined the themes of Kung Fu and calligraphy, naming it "Kung Fu Ink." Mr. Cohen's choice of name not only emphasizes the exhibition's theme but also astutely conveys the notion that Kung Fu ink is the soul of Chinese calligraphy and painting.

Qi is the life force of kung fu. As Mr. Wang practices, he channels qi throughout his body, beginning from the dantian (lower abdomen), allowing his chest and gallbladder to open. Qi courses through him, reaching from his back to his shoulders, elbows, and wrists, and finally to the pen and ink. With each stroke, qi merges with the ink, imprinting Chinese characters onto the white paper. This flow of qi mirrors a series of kung fu movements, evoking imagery of time's passage, rushing streams, and swirling clouds and mist. The characters brim with vitality and energy, serving as a medium for Mr. Wang to express his heartfelt emotions. The characters are full of vitality and energy, and through them, Mr. Wang expresses his feelings from his heart. Kung Fu is an accumulation of energy over time. Mr. Wang was born in Shandong, China, and is a practitioner of martial arts, literature, and culture. He began practicing martial arts at the age of 7, studying under Li Yingqi, a close disciple of Lin Shiyin. Lin Shiyin, a third-generation master of Lin iron sand palm, is renowned for his expertise in China and abroad. At the age of 7, Mr. Wang also began practicing calligraphy, inheriting the art from his family's heritage. In his youth, he was deeply influenced by the art of the famous father and son pair of painters and calligraphers, Wang Zhongnian and Wang Shu, under whose guidance his calligraphy skills greatly improved. For the past twenty years, he has practiced calligraphy for four hours a day, three hundred and thirty days a year, accumulating thirty thousand hours. In his book "Outliers," writer Malcolm Gladwell pointed out, "the reason geniuses are outstanding is not because their natural talent is superhuman, but because they put in continuous effort. 10,000 hours of practice is the necessary condition for anyone to turn from the ordinary into a world-class master. 10,000 hours of practice is what it takes for anyone to go from ordinary to world-class mastery." He called this the "law of 10,000 hours." Mr. Wang has surpassed this milestone with over 30,000 hours of diligent practice, resulting in the creation of Kung Fu Ink.

Kung Fu Ink originates from the Kung Fu brush, a tool wielded by Mr. Wang with remarkable prowess. Crafted by hand, his iron brush weighs over 40 pounds, yet under his skilled hands, it moves with remarkable fluidity, delivering bold and forceful strokes. These vigorous movements, akin to those of martial arts, exhibit a seamless interplay of Xingshi and Yunqi, transitioning between strokes and character formations, resulting in a distinctive style of Kung Fu calligraphy characterized by grace, dynamism, and uniqueness. Each stroke is executed with precision, exuding vitality and energy, as if choreographing a captivating martial arts performance on paper. Unrestrained yet disciplined, weighty yet elegant, agile yet solemn, Mr. Wang's brushwork embodies a harmonious fusion of essence, spirit, and qi, resonating with the tension of bone, blood, and flesh. Within the ink and pen lie the lyrical colors and aesthetics of individuality, culminating in an awe-inspiring synthesis of Kung Fu and calligraphy—an artistry that captivates and inspires.

Moreover, a kung fu practitioner is indispensable for the creation of kung fu ink. Like his approach to kung fu, Mr. Wang engages in calligraphy practice. Through this art form, he not only refines his physical techniques but also nurtures his mental faculties. The act of calligraphy becomes a holistic practice, blending the elements of brush, ink, body, and mind into the essence of kung fu. It transcends mere artistic expression; rather, it embodies a way of life—a quest for the harmonious integration of kung fu and calligraphy through the medium of kung fu ink. Mr. Wang's practice takes place on a six-acre plot of land situated in downtown Yantai. Here, amidst a landscape adorned with exotic flowers, mountain springs, and tranquil ponds, he has constructed a residence and garden. This idyllic setting serves as a nurturing environment for his pursuit of kung fu ink, allowing it to flourish in harmony with nature, infused with the essence of the sun and the moon. Thus, the cultivation of kung fu ink unfolds within the simplicity and beauty of a rustic life. Since then, an iron pen has traversed the globe ceaselessly. Mr. Wang has garnered international

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