The inspiration of Zhang Dawo’s “Miaomo” is sourced from two spheres of influence. One is the Japanese Modern Calligraphy movements where the brush strokes and “Xian”   (Chinese calligraphic lines and curves) are used as tool for creative artwork. The other is the western Abstract Expressionism where the space of abstract is adapted to calligraphy. Dawo “Miaomo” is the continuation of the development of Japanese Modern Calligraphy as well as utilizing the oriental resources to transform the calligraphic aspect of the western Abstract Expressionism. For this very point one could perhaps expect Chinese (including Japanese) Modern Calligraphy to be able to develop a new language for the western Abstract Expressionism. If one follows this line of thought to analyse Dawo’s artwork, one can understand why he has named his work as “Miaomo”. It is a term to describe his style and general expression. The boundary of this style is very obvious – the calligraphic nature of “Xian” and the blurring of Hanzi (Chinese characters) to the extent of deconstruction of the characters; flowing between the realms of the rules of Shufa (calligraphy) and abstract space; including of course, some of the calligraphic “Xiangxing” (pictograph) and traces of traditional calligraphy. Within these several realms the focus point is how to allow calligraphy to be used as free-flow writing after it has been liberated from the rigid frame of character writing; and ultimately how to develop “Xian” into something Miao (wonderful and mystic) through the inner feeling of the heart and emotion. This is where Modern Calligraphy has its intrigue and depth. Many Modern Calligraphers devote themselves to the pursuit this path. But Dawo has included it into the goal and search of “Miaomo”.

 

 

The contemporary calligraphy in China today cannot move away from these two spheres: Japanese Modern Calligraphy and western Abstract Expressionism. The former directly influences the shaping of Chinese contemporary Shufa and the latter provides the classical style of abstract: i.e. the relationship of “Xian” in the space. And how “Xian” can be used to express the culture and quality of art is another important consideration for present day contemporary calligraphers. Built on writing brush, Xuan paper and ink, the “Moxian” (ink-line) system has its own origin and history of development. In between change and consolidation as affected by culture, “Moxian” has become multi-directional. It was originated from a cultural belief. In the classical time it was the symbol of the culture of “Ru, Dao, Shi” (Confucius, Tao, Buddhist). Amidst these different cultural symbols, “Moxian” has been given different overtone. And when this “Ru, Dao, Shi” culture is influenced by romanticism, liberalism and modernism, its “Moxian” is forced to changed. This is the beginning of the modernism of “Shufa”. The requirement for “Moxian” to be adapted to modernism is for “Shufa” to change from its previous form into the space. 

 

 

 

Thus “Moxian” is an important issue for contemporary calligraphy. From the culture and quality of “Moxian” we can assess the quality of an artwork. In the various expression of abstract art, the “Moxian” of contemporary calligraphy will continually to provide inspiration and cue to abstract art. Because “Moxian”, from its history and culture, cannot be explained simply by the western concept of “lines”. It requires the foundation of the concept of “lines” of modern artform. At the same time because of the “Moxian” culture itself, it can be used as the starting point to do research on Modern Calligraphy. Once you have started, “Moxian” becomes especially meaningful and this meaning is used by Zhang Dawo as “Miaomo”. Therefore looking at Dawo “Miaomo” artworks we are placed in the world of “Moxian” which he hopes will surpass the Japanist Modern Calligraphy and western Abstract Expressionism. The basis of this outshining is to upgrade continuously the depth and quality derived from the resultant forces of “Moxian” history and culture and current mode.