Wu Jianxian (1945.5-2007.5) was a famous calligrapher in Shanghai who was famous for his proficiency in calligraphy and strong penmanship. He was famous for his regular and running calligraphy. The calligraphy style is clear, upright and bold, and he is especially good at writing list books. In the late 1970s, I was fortunate enough to learn calligraphy from Master Jianxian, and it has been more than 30 years now. But the past memories of learning calligraphy and Master Jianxian’s insights and unremitting pursuit of the art of calligraphy are still unforgettable to me.
When I first started learning calligraphy, my teacher made a "three-chapter agreement" with me. The first is "fixed post". I chose European characters, thinking that the teacher would also start with European characters and teach me his own characters, which would be more than enough to make me familiar with it. But he said: "My calligraphy is Wu Jianxian's European calligraphy. Just look at it. To learn European calligraphy, you must study "Jiucheng Palace" and "Master Daoyin's Stele" by Ouyang Xun and Ouyang Tong. It will take ten and eight years. Only by working hard for many years can we have a firm foothold and establish a stronghold." It was many years later that I understood the profound meaning behind the teacher’s words of “following the teachings first” and “copying them with your heart and pursuing them with your hands”. The second is "quantitative". I have to keep my pen in hand every day, and write three-inch characters. The day is approaching two hundred, so I can't be careless. The third is "timing". Home-based classes twice a week. I agreed to them one by one and persisted for a long time. I knew in my heart that I was not very talented and my understanding was not strong, but I had some tenacity in learning calligraphy and was willing to sit on the bench. The reason why the teacher took a fancy to me is, as my brothers said, "I have a strong preference for Yaohong." One is that the teacher feels that "diligence can make up for one's weakness, and children can be taught." Fire inheritance”.