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The largest calligraphy work ever created in Hong Kong, "The Moon over the River on a Spring Night" by the internationally acclaimed Chinese calligrapher Professor Wang Dongling, is on public display from today (January 21) until February 3 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Members of the public can take the opportunity to view this huge calligraphy work during the Lunar New Year period.
Professor Wang was invited by the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Ink Society to give a calligraphy performance at the museum during last year's Spring Lantern Festival. During the performance, Professor Wang created a 6-metre high by 11-metre wide work of cursive script calligraphy, "The Moon over the River on a Spring Night", using a big brush in front of a large audience. The piece was then donated to the Hong Kong Museum of Art by the Ink Society and is now being presented in this exhibition.
Speaking at the opening and donation ceremony today, the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung, said the donation of this valuable calligraphy work to the Hong Kong Museum of Art's permanent collection would enrich the museum's collection and boost Hong Kong's cultural assets.
Other officiating guests at the opening ceremony included the Chairman of the Ink Society, Mrs Alice King; Professor Wang; and the Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Miss Eve Tam.
Professor Wang has been engaged in the creation and research of contemporary calligraphy since the 1980s. Striving to cultivate a bond between traditional Chinese calligraphy and the modern lifestyle and cityscape, his calligraphy works serve as a platform to spread appreciation of classical art in contemporary society.
"The Moon over the River on a Spring Night" presents Chinese classical poetry by Zhang Ruoxu (circa 660-720) of the Tang dynasty. Evoking a magnificent scene of a beautiful moon, blooming flowers and a flowing river, the poet expressed affection for his beloved wife in the poetry. Drawing on the work's unique sentiment, Professor Wang turned the poetry into a huge calligraphy piece last year alongside the beauty of Victoria Harbour amid the Spring Lantern Festival atmosphere.
Admission to the exhibition, entitled "The Moon over the River on a Spring Night: The Art of Calligraphy by Wang Dongling", is free. A video produced by the School of Creative Media of the City University of Hong Kong and showing Professor Wang creating this calligraphy work is also being shown at the exhibition.
For details of the exhibition, please visit the Hong Kong Museum of Art's website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Arts/en_US/web/ma/exhibition.html#025.
Ends/Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:36
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