Out of Character: Decoding Chinese Calligraphy

Co-curator and senior research fellow, Joseph Chang, reads Poetic lines in semicursive script, Zhang Ruitu (1570-1641) in Mandarin while the characters are highlighted on your screen.

Learn more about the various script styles in Chinese calligraphy.

Co-curator and senior research fellow, Joseph Chang, reads excerpts of poems from works in the "Out of Character: Decoding Chinese Calligraphy" exhibition at the Asian Art Museum in Mandarin (with English subtitles).

Master Calligrapher Cai Xingyi writes the poem, "Ascending the Heron Tower," by Poet Wang Zhihuan (688-742).

Professor and master calligrapher, Cai Xingyi, writes an excerpt from the Thousand-Character Classic.

Co-curator and senior research fellow, Joseph Chang, reads an excerpt from Self-composed Poems in semicursive script, Wen Zhengming (1470-1559) in Mandarin while the characters are highlighted on your screen.

Co-curator and senior research fellow, Joseph Chang, reads an excerpt from Poetic Lines, Yi Bingshou, (1754-1815) in Mandarin while the characters are highlighted on your screen.

Co-curator and senior research fellow, Joseph Chang, reads an excerpt from Eight Poems on Yellow Ridge, Xiong Tingbi (1596-1625) in Mandarin while the characters are highlighted on your screen.