As a media worker, I was fortunate to meet Mr. Li Jiayao at a calligraphy exhibition at the Guangzhou Art Museum more than ten years ago. The exhibition had a dazzling array of calligraphy works, and there were many calligraphers participating in the exhibition, but they were ignored by others. It is rare that calligraphy works and personality charm attract and remain fresh in my memory. Many years later, I established a self-media platform for the inheritance of traditional culture. Among a bunch of business cards, I found the business card that Mr. Li handed me back then, and contacted Mr. Li. He was not only interested in calligraphy and painting, but also culturally. As a result of my fellow geneticists, I invited Mr. Li to join my cultural inheritance group. Mr. Li was very generous and wrote several unwritten manuscripts for Mr. Li. He sent calligraphy to Mr. Li to express his encouragement to the younger generations. Mr. Li He is approachable and willing to share and communicate. Because of his deep friendship and sincere feelings, he was invited by the teacher many times and was unable to attend the congratulations. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and congratulations on the complete success of this exhibition. The theme of this exhibition clearly highlights "Cultural Confidence, Promote Tradition, Never Forget Teachers, and Write Classics." As a self-media person and platform for the inheritance of traditional culture, it is necessary and meaningful to introduce to you Mr. Li and the exhibition organized by Mr. Li. In this calligraphy exhibition, we will not forget our teacher’s kindness and pass it on from generation to generation.
Media from all walks of life gathered in all directions, and it was very lively.
? On September 10, 2019, as the whole country celebrates the 70th anniversary of the motherland, on the Teachers’ Day of “Ten years of tree cultivation, a hundred years of cultivation of people”, and in the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, three festivals** At the time of the collection, in order to further enhance cultural confidence and promote the excellent traditional Chinese culture. Sponsored by the Tianjin Calligraphers Association and co-organized by the Tianjin Hexi District Calligraphers Association, Tianjin Linzhou Chamber of Commerce, Tianjin Anhui Chamber of Commerce, and Hainan Province Taiwan-funded Enterprises Association, "Cultural Confidence, Carry On Tradition, Never Forget Teachers, and Write Classics --- Exhibition of "Mr. Yan Liufu's Ink Paintings and Disciple Li Jiayao's Calligraphy and Painting Works" opened at 10:00 am at Tianjin Art Museum. The calligraphy and painting exhibition is composed of the famous calligrapher and painter Mr. Li Jiayao and his mentor Mr. Yan Liufu's calligraphy and painting works. It aims to spread the culture of teachers and Taoism. , enhance cultural confidence, carry forward traditions, and carry forward the past and open up the future.
Mr. Yan Liufu, whose scientific name is Rentong. Originally from Cixi, Zhejiang, he was born in Tianjin in November 1908. Graduated from Nankai University Business School in 1932. When he was young, he learned calligraphy from his uncle, Mr. Yan Fansun. Later, he learned landscape painting from Mr. Liu Zijiu, and received moxibustion from his uncle Liu Kuiling. He was half teacher and half friend with Chen Shaomei, and acquired the charm of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and his painting skills were refined. The calligraphy was also guided by the calligrapher Mr. Wu Yuru, who was well versed in Wang Zhaozhi Miao, especially the calligraphy of Zheng Ming Dynasty. Mr. Yan Liufu has profound traditional landscape skills, integrating the north and the south. His style is rigorous and down-to-earth, full of bookishness, and presents a quiet, elegant, and peaceful atmosphere of Zen. Mr. Yan Liufu is also highly respected in the Buddhist community. On April 14, 1993, Mr. Yan Liufu completed his 86-year-old life journey, and left a couplet to the Su Zhai of Dabei Zen Temple in Tianjin: For three meals, I often remember the suffering of farmers, and for one meal, I need to know the grace of the Buddha. , think about where you came from. As a famous calligrapher, painter, calligraphy and painting educator in Tianjin, Mr. Yan Liufu has students all over the world. His calligraphy and painting works are rich in Zen and have strong artistic appeal. He is one of the outstanding representatives of the older generation of famous calligraphers and painters in Tianjin.
Mr. Li Jiayao was born in Tianjin in 1947. Adhering to family education, he has been in the pond since he was a child. In the 1980s, he became a disciple of Mr. Yan Liufu, which became a turning point in his life. Under the guidance of Mr. Yan, calligraphy greatly improved. He studied hundreds of classics and finally formed a school. He was especially good at writing scriptures in small regular script and creating boundary paintings, which benefited him throughout his life. He is currently a director of the China International Academy of Calligraphy and Painting, a director of the calligraphy and painting exchange branch of the Hainan Cross-Strait Relations Association, a member of the Tianjin Calligraphers Association, a director of the Tianjin Couplet Society, and a director of the Tianjin Seal Society. In 2006, he was awarded the title of "Tianjin Staff Artist" by the Tianjin Federation of Trade Unions and the Tianjin Municipal Cultural Bureau. His calligraphy is based on Wang Zhao, and his inscriptions and inscriptions are compatible. He is good at writing sutras in small regular script, and he is also good at writing running script and list script. He is good at landscape painting, poetry and seal cutting, and his works are uniquely Zen and bookish. It is very popular among collectors at home and abroad and is widely collected. He converted to Buddhism in 1998 and was named Yuan Zhong.
Sutra writing works such as "Diamond Sutra", "Samantabhadra Prayers", "Ksitigarbha Sutra", "Medicine Master Sutra", "Heart Sutra" and other works were sent to Shenzhen Hongfa Temple, Shaoguan Nanhua Temple, Hunan Fuyuan Temple, Hebei Ancient Stone Buddha Temple, Hong Kong Buddhist Museum, collected by temples in Fujian, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Zhejiang and other places.
?Teacher Li Jiayao never forgets his mentor, his memoirs---Looking up at the high mountains, the kindness is unforgettable.
? Text/Li Jiayao
? My mentor, Mr. Yan Liufu, is a famous calligrapher, painter, and calligraphy and painting educator in Tianjin. He is a grandson of Yan Xiu (Yan Fan Sun). He studied calligraphy and calligraphy with his uncle Yan Fansun since he was a child. He is a descendant of a long-established family. My mentor, Mr. Yan Liufu, was good at calligraphy and painting, strict with the law, and achieved wonderful things. In his early years, he studied painting and was taught by Liu Zijiu, a famous painter from Jinmen. Later, he became a half-teacher and half-friend of Chen Shaomei. He acquired the charm of the Song and Yuan Dynasties and his painting skills were refined. The calligraphy was also guided by the calligrapher Mr. Wu Yuru, who was well versed in Wang Zhaozhi Miao, especially the calligraphy of Zheng Ming Dynasty. His calligraphy and painting works are quiet and elegant, with a peaceful Zen feel.
? Mr. Yan Liufu is also a calligraphy and painting educator with many disciples. He teaches and educates people with traditional calligraphy and painting techniques, and cultivates many calligraphy and painting talents, adding luster to the calligraphy and painting world in Tianjin.
In the autumn of 1982, I passed by the Jingu College of the Chinese Revolution and saw an advertisement for Yan Liufu recruiting six students, and I was asked to bring my works to register. I discussed it with my wife when I got home, and I wrote a preface to Lanting for my wife to take and sign up. At that time, I was very busy with work and couldn't spare any time. After signing up, I received a notice that I was admitted.
There is a two-hour lecture one afternoon every week. I listen to Mr. Yan’s lecture and then write on the spot. I remember that the first class was for each of us to write our own names. At that time, the names of several of our classmates were written on a piece of Yuan Shu paper. Mr. Yan looked at it and said: "Be sure to write your own names! Let me read your names." The writing is not very good. I will write a name for each of you for reference. Write the name well. The name is a person's business card. It must be written well. Don't write it too sloppily. It must be easy to recognize." After that, we wrote each of our names on the Yuan Shu paper, and a few of us cut the paper into pieces and kept them for ourselves. At that time, I felt that Mr. Yan was kind, kind and approachable.
In the Kuomintang Revolution class, Mr. Yan saw me writing with my elbows hanging and said that Comrade Li would be able to write in the future. I was very inspired when I heard that. Mr. Yan then said that if one can write, two out of a hundred people can do it. And those who can support their families by being famous for their writing are only one in a hundred. And in the years that followed, I deeply confirmed Mr. Yan’s motto.
In his daily lectures, Mr. Yan told many principles and stories about how to behave in the world. The most talked about thing is "Read more and be a good person". This sets the tone for learning calligraphy throughout our lives - learning to write and putting quality first.
After the studies at Jingu College of the Kuomintang were over, as the relationship between teachers and students became better and better, we students and Mr. Yan agreed to choose one night a week to go to Mr. Yan’s home to study. The old man is also very happy.
Every time we brought in our homework, Mr. Yan would patiently comment and explain each one. I remember once a student pointed out that some words were difficult to write well and the structure was not easy to arrange. He asked Mr. Yan to give an example of how to write them. , Mr. Yan happily accepted the pen demonstration. A few of us talked about the difficulties we encountered in writing one by one. We asked Mr. Yan to write one, and we wrote more than a hundred words. We wrote and talked about it, with lines, cursive, and even one word I wrote two or three calligraphy styles, and the speaking and writing became more and more exciting throughout the whole night. Finally, Mr. Yan said humorously: "You are testing me."
At that time, Mr. Yan mainly taught us how to write running script, using the running scripts of Wen Yuming and Zhao Mengfu as models, and Wen Zhengming as the main teacher. He said that Wen Zhengming could live to be ninety years old. We can also live long if we write his words. Writing can also reveal a person's character. The character of the character is the character. If the character is good, the character of the character is also good.
There are three things that make me most unforgettable. Once I wrote Yan Zhenqing's poem to encourage students to study: "The lights are on at three o'clock and the chickens are on at five o'clock..." and I showed it to Mr. Yan, who praised it greatly after reading it. After the review, I told a story about Yan Fansun. At that time, Yan Fansun wrote a limerick with the opposite meaning to Yan Zhenqing's exhortation to learn poetry. The poem was read casually, "Spring is not a day for reading. Summer is so hot that you can sleep in it. Autumn comes with high winds and cool weather. Pack your schoolbags to celebrate the New Year." We all laughed after hearing this. Mr. Yan then said that this was a satire on those children who were unwilling to learn and were eager to play, and gave them a reason not to study hard and be playful.
? The second thing is that I often frame some words for Mr. Yan. One time when I was delivering framed calligraphy, I saw a calligraphy on the table that read, "Since ancient times, heroes have been foolish, but a prodigal is never a fool." There was no signature or seal on it. I felt that the words were very philosophical and had profound meaning, so I asked Mr. Yan for this calligraphy. Mr. Yan said that the calligraphy was not good, and he kept asking me to write more. I said no need to write anymore, and I wanted this one. Mr. Yan said he would give it to you if you like it, and then he licked his pen and dipped his ink to sign and seal it.
? He also told that the couplet was written by his great-grandfather to warn his descendants. He also told the examples of Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang to illustrate the meaning of this couplet. I felt like I had found a treasure and took it home and framed it. . After it was framed, I showed it to Mr. Yan. Mr. Yan was very happy after seeing it. I went a step further and asked Mr. Yan to inscribe the inscription. I hung it at home, and many people praised it when they saw it! Someone also asked me to write a couplet with this content and collect it and hang it at home.
The third thing is that I once met Mr. Yan at his home while receiving a guest (later I found out that the guest was Master Baohan from the Great Compassion Monastery) and talked about Buddhism. After the guests left, I asked Mr. Yan to write the four words "Buddha's light shines everywhere" for me. At that time, Mr. Yan wrote Xiao Dou Fang for me, "Buddha's light shines all over the world." I said I wanted to hang the banner at home with large characters. Mr. Yan said, "I don't have any good paper. Please bring me some paper and I'll write it."
Mr. Yan asked me: "Do you also believe in Buddhism?" I replied at that time: "I want to believe in Buddhism but I don't know how to do it." Mr. Yan briefly talked to me about the "Five Precepts and Three Refuges", especially not to kill or eat living animals. It was at that time that the seeds of my conversion in 1998 were planted!
Looking back, the moment I met Mr. Yan became a turning point in my life! What I heard and saw made me gain knowledge and improve my writing. Because of my contact with good teachers, my work, family, career, and life have changed a lot. A few days later, I took a piece of pink paper sprinkled with gold and asked Mr. Yan to write the four characters "Buddha's light shines everywhere". I framed it and hung it at home.
I still remember that in the spring of 1984, Mr. Yan once said to several of our students that the Kuomintang Revolutionary Organization went to Beicang to hold a condolence pen meeting. You can choose two people to participate. At that time, Zhong Yuanjun and I were recommended to participate in this PEN meeting. This is my first time attending PEN! At the PEN meeting, I met Mu Zijing, Liang Qi and other calligraphers and painters.
In 1990, I specialized in calligraphy, painting and mounting, and began to seek advice from Mr. Yan on the basics of landscape painting. At that time, Mr. Yan had not painted landscapes for many years, so he took out his early apprenticeship drawings and explained them one by one. I gradually started to get into landscape painting. I was interested in boundary painting, and Mr. Yan introduced me to Teacher Jia Wanxin. Later, I had many contacts with Teacher Jia Wanxin and learned a lot. Slowly I gained a feeling and understanding of boundary painting.
Before Mr. Yan died of illness in April 1993, I was busy with family affairs. I didn’t go to Mr. Yan’s home for nearly half a year. When I heard the news of Mr. Yan’s death, it was like a thunderbolt, and I was filled with regret! !
Recalling the past, I feel more and more admiration for Mr. Yan. The voice and smile are still in front of me, which arouses my memory of my teacher. The grace of me is unforgettable. I write this article to express my gratitude. I hope that the spirit of Mr. Yan in heaven will always stay in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and protect us in everything. Amitabha.
Wonderful review of the grand opening: