Theme
There is a Chinese phrase, 'Gen Shen Ye Mao.' It means that a tree must have deep roots to have flourishing leavesThe book, 'Yong-Bi-O-Chon-Ga' (written by King Se Jong, it is the first book to be written in original traditional korean language) has the verse, "Bul hwi gi pun nam gan ba ra mae ah ni muel sse got do kyo yu rum hanani. It translates to, 'a tree with deep roots doesn't sway in the wind, and can grow beautiful flowers and become bountiful with fruits'. It's not just trees that do this, but the meaning behind the proverb can be manifested into everything in the world, including calligraphy. The essence of calligraphy lies in its deeply rooted artistic quality combined with research and experiments that produce the rich leaves of success which can withstand the sudden winds of artistic changes that occur, and stay rooted to protect its original state. While standing strong in its original beauty, calligraphy can use the incoming winds to spread its seeds and strong scent of ink out into the world.
Making it our goal to globalize Korean calligraphy, World Calligraphy Biennale has spent the last 16 years, spreading the roots of both Korean and Jeollabuk- Do's calligraphy worldwide. Now, we must gather the nutrients from its deep roots and spread out its branches and twigs against the blowing wind and reach for the world. The World Calligraphy Biennale has played a large role in spreading the saplings into the western world. Now, as the sprouts start to form and move westward with the wind, the wind of Korea's Calligraphy must be combined to create a whirlwind. However, before the whirlwind can blow, we must continue to check and reexamine our roots. This is to ensure that the root is strong enough to withstand the strength of the wind. Consequently, it is also the reason why the theme of 2013's 9th annual World Calligraphy Biennale is 'The Root and The Wind'. We must examine the art of calligraphy which originated from Chinese characters and check on the saplings that have started to spread worldwide, in order to prepare for the big winds which will blow in the way of calligraphy, in the future. Beginning at Jeollabuk-do, Korea's scent, we hope that calligraphy can garner a whirlwind of interest worldwide.
Making it our goal to globalize Korean calligraphy, World Calligraphy Biennale has spent the last 16 years, spreading the roots of both Korean and Jeollabuk- Do's calligraphy worldwide. Now, we must gather the nutrients from its deep roots and spread out its branches and twigs against the blowing wind and reach for the world. The World Calligraphy Biennale has played a large role in spreading the saplings into the western world. Now, as the sprouts start to form and move westward with the wind, the wind of Korea's Calligraphy must be combined to create a whirlwind. However, before the whirlwind can blow, we must continue to check and reexamine our roots. This is to ensure that the root is strong enough to withstand the strength of the wind. Consequently, it is also the reason why the theme of 2013's 9th annual World Calligraphy Biennale is 'The Root and The Wind'. We must examine the art of calligraphy which originated from Chinese characters and check on the saplings that have started to spread worldwide, in order to prepare for the big winds which will blow in the way of calligraphy, in the future. Beginning at Jeollabuk-do, Korea's scent, we hope that calligraphy can garner a whirlwind of interest worldwide.
