< Acquaintance with Calligraphy in Chiayi > takes the creation and inheritance of the Chiayi calligrapher, Mr. Chen Ting Chi, as the core of the exhibition, exhibiting his calligraphy exchange experience with senior calligraphers from Taiwan and Japan, along with his inherited works. Mr. Chen Ting Chi was born in 1911 and will be 110 years old by 2021. This exhibition specially invites Taiwan Jiazi Calligraphy Association, Chiayi Xuanfeng Calligraphy Association and Tokyo Calligraphy Research Association (Tokyo Shosoin) to jointly organize it as a commemoration.
It has been 85 years since Japanese calligrapher, Hidai Tenrai, visited Taiwan in 1935 and interacted with Chen Ting Chi in Chiayi. Hidai Tenrai was the disciple of Kusakabe Meikaku, while Meikaku was the disciple of Shou-Jin Yang; besides, Chen Ting Chi received instructions from Japanese calligrapher Tashiro Shukaku, who was also the disciple of Kusakabe Meikaku, in his early age, which means Ting Chi and Tenrai were members of the same calligraphy clan. The Chiayi poet, calligrapher, and painter, Mrs. Zhang Li De Hefounded the Xuanfeng Museum in 1963, together with the Xuanfeng Calligraphy Association. In 1965, the Xuanfeng Calligraphy Association was operated by Ting Chi, who has cultivated several calligraphers and stood in the leading position in Taiwan's calligraphy industry. Ting Chi’s students, Li Yu Chou , Lin Jin Zhong, and Huang Zong Yi, respectively cultivated many calligraphy succeeding generations all over Taiwan as well.
Hidai Tenrai is the father of Japanese artistic calligraphy. In addition to cultivating Ueda Soukyuu, Teshima Yuukei, Kuwahara Suihou, and Ishida Saiko, he also influenced the calligraphy creations of Tashiro Shukaku and Kawatani Shotei. Kuwahara Suihou, who founded the Calligraphy Research Association (Shosoin ) in 1938, was the pioneer of Japanese modern calligraphy. Same with Hidai Tenrai, Kuwahara Suihou fostered abundant calligraphy talents in Japan. This joint exhibition of Taiwan-Japan calligraphy will showcase the best creations and works from both parties, becoming a grand event for cultural exchanges between Taiwan and Japan.