The 2nd Zhejiang Province Youth and Middle-aged Literary and Artistic Workers with Moral and Artistic Excellence Commendation Ceremony was held in Hangzhou recently. Wang Bo, a teacher from the School of Teacher Education (Physical Education) of Taizhou University was honored for his outstanding performance in the field of calligraphy. A total of 18 workers were honored.
Wang Bo, the fourth from the left in the second row
It is learned that the ceremony is co-sponsored by the Publicity Department of the Party’s Provincial Committee, the Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, and the Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles. The event is an important initiative to strengthen the moral and attitude construction of literary and artistic teams, and to promote the prosperity of literary and artistic undertakings. The selection of these 18 representative workers adheres to the principle of democratic openness, fairness and impartiality.
Now, let us come close to Mr. Wang Bo, and learn more about him and his calligraphy.
Wang Bo, director of Teacher Skills Teaching Department of School of Teacher Education (Physical Education), Taizhou University. He is a professor, a delegate to the Seventh and Eighth National Congress of Chinese Calligraphers Association, a member of the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Session of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Zhejiang Province, vice-chairman of the Calligraphers Association and director of the Cursive Calligraphy Committee, vice-chairman of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Taizhou Municipality, chairman of the Calligraphers Association of Taizhou Municipality, Master of Art in Calligraphy of China Academy of Art, leading scholar in Humanities and Social Science of Zhejiang Province listed in Zhejiang Ten Thousand Talent Plan, Zhejiang Propaganda and Culture System “Five Batches” Talent, Taizhou Sixth and Eighth Top-notch Talent, a tutor of the Famous Artist Cultivation Program of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Zhejiang Province, a specially appointed researcher of Zhejiang Calligraphy Academy, and leading scholar of Famous Artist Studio of Taizhou Municipal Party Committee Talent Leading Group.
Dedication to Studying and Writing
After decades of dedicated studying, Wang Bo has formed his own unique style in calligraphy creation and won many important awards in the professional field. His works were awarded the highest prize in the 2nd China (Tianjin) Calligraphy Art Festival, and honored as one of the “Top 10 Calligraphy Masters”. He was nominated for the 1st Chinese Calligraphy Lanting Prize, and awarded the Excellence Prize in the 2nd International Seal Cutting and Calligraphy Exhibition. He won the Gold Prize in the 3rd All-Zhejiang Calligraphy Exhibition, the Gold Prize in the 2nd Zhejiang Provincial Young and Middle-aged Calligraphy Seal Cutting Exhibition, and the Gold Prize in the Zhejiang Province’s 3rd Young and Middle-aged Calligraphy Exhibition.
In addition, his calligraphy works have been selected for the 7th National Calligraphy Exhibition, the 8th Young and Middle-aged Calligraphy Exhibition, the National Top 500 Celebrity Calligraphy Exhibition, and the 14th National Calligraphy Starry Calligraphers Award Review and Final Exhibitions. During the Beijing Olympic Games, his works were selected for the “National Calligraphy Excellence into the Olympic Games Venue” Program cosponsored by the China Federation of Literary Arts and the China Calligraphy Association, displayed and collected in the Water Cube. During the G20 Hangzhou Summit, his works were displayed in the VIP lounge of Xiaoshan International Airport, and were honored by the G20 Publicity Group and the Publicity Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee. His personal calligraphy exhibition was held in the Zhejiang Art Museum in 2019.
Apart from the calligraphy creation, Wang Bo is committed to the theoretical study of calligraphy. His research paper “Second Degree Abstraction and the Law of Form” was published in Calligraphy Research, and was reproduced in Renmin University of China’s copy material Plastic Arts. The paper “Natural Manifestation in Chen Hongshou’s Clerical Script” was selected for the National Academic Symposium of Clerical Script, and published in Calligraphy Guidance. The paper “On the Creativeness of Calligraphy” was selected for the 7th National Symposium on the Creation Theory of Calligraphy, and included in Collected Papers. The paper “The Quivering Brush Writing” was published in Calligraphy Research. The paper “A Brief Discussion on the Combination of Memorial Cursive and Modern Cursive” was published in Chinese Calligraphy. The paper “A Brief Discussion on Lu Lequn’s Calligraphy” was published in Chinese Calligraphy. The book Textbook on Calligraphy he edited was published by Xiling Yinshe Publishing House.
Part of Wang Bo’s calligraphy works
Dedication to Teaching and Education
As a teacher teaching college students, Wang Bo has always been conscientious about his lectures, and imparting his knowledge and talent to his students. He has guided students to win the 1st prize of Chinese Classics Reciting, Writing and Reading Competition sponsored by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, and the 2nd prize of National College Students’ Art Festival sponsored by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. He has been awarded the comprehensive prize of creation, theory, and teaching in the 1st Zhejiang Calligraphy Teachers’ Achievement Exhibition sponsored by Zhejiang Calligraphers Association, the outstanding performance prize of the 3rd Modern Teaching Skills Competition of Zhejiang Higher Education Institutions sponsored by Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, the multiple Outstanding Instructor Awards in Zhejiang college students’ art festivals organized by Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, Department of Culture, Radio and Television Group, Youth League Provincial Committee and other organizations.
In his more than 30 years of teaching of calligraphy in Taizhou University, Wang Bo has trained dozens of students qualified for joining the provincial Calligraphers’ Association, and many of them have been admitted to the Master’s Degree programs of Calligraphy in Zhejiang University, Hangzhou Normal University and other higher education institutions, or joined the Chinese Calligraphers’ Association, or become the chairman of the calligraphic associations in some Southeast Asia countries, or are engaged in the teaching of calligraphy and have become the backbone of calligraphy in some areas.
Calligraphy works by Wang Bo’s students winning the first prize of the 2023 Provincial College Students’ Art Festival
Dedication to Serving the Society
In 2013, Wang Bo Preeminent Artist Studio was established. Wang Bo, as the leading artist of the studio, have given full play to his leading role in cultivating new talents, and harvested fruitful results. The studio has organized 3 public welfare seminars. By now, 12 of the students and members have been admitted to the Chinese Calligraphers Association, and 51 have joined the Zhejiang Calligraphers Association. At present, the studio has 21 members and 181 daytime students. The studio adheres to the pure public welfare, without charging any tuition fees or the kind. Studio tutors and members have often been organized to carry out lectures, intensive practice, critique seminars, visits, exhibitions, and other activities, but command no lecture fees. The studio strives to create an excellent platform for Taizhou calligraphy works and academic research as well as a training base for Taizhou calligraphy reserve talent.
During his 10 years of serving as chairman of Taizhou Calligraphers Association, Wang Bo has built 12 villages characterized by calligraphy in Zhejiang. He has actively participated in the activities of calligraphy villages, his footprints covering each calligraphy village in Taizhou. Every year, he actively organizes calligraphy activities in military camps, the countryside, and the factories. Every year before the Spring Festival, he actively organizes activities of writing Spring Festival couplets. Taizhou Calligraphers Association has been twice awarded the outstanding collective for calligraphy entering thousands of families by China Federation of Literary and Art Cirlces and the Chinese Calligraphy Association. During the epidemic period, Taizhou Calligraphers Association organized the network exhibition of calligraphy works themed on anti-epidemic, and actively organized 177 works of calligraphers to be presented to the front-line medical workers returning from Wuhan. Taizhou Calligraphy Association was twice awarded the annual prize for group members of Zhejiang Provincial Calligraphy Association.
Calligraphy Exhibition of the 3rd Seminar by Wang Bo Preeminent Artist Studio
“As a common calligraphy art worker, I’d like to concentrate on calligraphy creation, and strive to climb the peak of art. I shall actively walk out of my studio, and serve the public and the society, so that I can continuously improve my thinking and my spirit. Achieving moral and artistic excellence is my lifelong pursuit.” Wang Bo said.
