Guest Lecture: East Asian Hanzi Art: Between Calligraphy and Abstraction 东亚汉字艺术：介于文笔（书写）与抽象之间

This lecture explores the multiple dimensions of Hanzi within modern artistic creation by examining the intersection between artistic expression and written characters. Due to their two-dimensional features and layered structures, Hanzi have long nurtured the tradition of calligraphy. Originating from practical writing, calligraphy gradually developed abstract artistic elements over time—reflecting both the tension and unity between writing and abstraction. Through works by artists such as Inoue Yuichi, Wu Guanzhong, Xu Bing, and Gu Wenda, Hanzi emerge as both symbols of cultural tradition and media of innovation and subversion. This talk invites the audience into the diverse aesthetic world embodied by Hanzi.