Examples of calligraphy by Yan Gongda in clerical script (or lishu, top) and seal script (or zhuanshu)

Yan said traditional Chinese culture, fundamentally, is the culture of tao. Despite its metaphysical nature, tao is the essence of ancient Chinese wisdom and contains rules and laws that still have important influence today. Chinese calligraphy is an art of strokes and lines of characters, which themselves are the artistic symbols expressing Taoist thoughts. The core idea of Taoism is the golden mean or the middle course of two extremes.

"A noble man should study hard to gain knowledge and insight into subtle questions. Consequently, he can become a man of wisdom with a balance between himself and society," said Yan. "The style of freehand brushwork embodies Taoist thought."

A calligrapher may not be a scholar, but as an artist, he must develop a unique cultural perspective, Yan said.

For a calligrapher to enrich his mental landscape, Yan's advice is simple: Learn from the masters from both at home and abroad.

"Moreover, we cannot ignore the great achievements of contemporary scholars, particularly Zhu Guangqian, who was a pioneer in modern China's aesthetic theories. In short, a calligrapher should be open to any types of knowledge and skill relevant to his art," Yan said.

Exemplifying philanthropy

In addition to pursuing an art career, Yan values benevolence, and charity has become an important part of his life.

Since 2008, Yan has donated over 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) to charities focusing on education and culture. Yan, who avoids the spotlight when it comes to his donations, said that he finds happiness in giving back.

"A core concept in Chinese culture is to respect nature and love people. For thousands of years, we have been taught to follow the rules of nature and be kind to people as well as care for the whole world," Yan said.

When Yan was a teenager, his aunt gave a set of cotton quilt to his parents. At that time, people were undergoing a period of hardship, so the quilt was a precious gift. Yan's mother generously donated it to another family in need, leading Yan to complain. Yan's mother said to him that the neighbor children were poorer and they needed the quilt more. The young Yan learned a basic principle: One should be kind to others.

Yan believes that the nature of an era is life and people. As a calligrapher, he believes that all arts cannot be separated from the artist's surroundings. Therefore, artists should undertake social responsibility while pursuing their careers.

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An Introduction of Yan Gongda

Yan Gongda was born in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, in 1948. A skilled practitioner in many styles of calligraphy, seal cutting and ink painting, he is now a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and also a member of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles. Yan holds the post of vice chairman of China Calligraphers' Association. As a doctoral tutor, he teaches calligraphy at the Nanjing-based Southeast University.

Yan's Representative Works:

My Chinese Heart celebrates the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008;

City Makes Life Better celebrates the Shanghai World Expo in 2010;

The Collections of Poems by Outstanding Figures Who Had Advanced China's Progress Over the Past Century is on display during the cultural forum of APEC in University of Hawaii in 2011;

Ode to Sport appears at the art exhibition of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

His works have been collected by over 100 museums and art galleries at home and abroad, including the National Museum of China, National Art Museum of China and the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.