Welcome
The Art of Writing
Welcome
The Art of Writing
Yibo Gallery
Located in Hamilton, Yibo Gallery is the home of calligraphist ShiJie.
SHI JIE
Calligrapher, Chinese Linguistic Scholar, Curator, and Arts Organizer
EDUCATION
· Master’s Degree in Economics Nankai University, China
· Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering Yanshan University, China
ARTISTIC PROFILE
Shi Jie is a Chinese calligrapher, cultural scholar, curator, and arts organizer. He has practiced Chinese calligraphy for more than thirty years and has maintained a long-term commitment to the study and practice of traditional Chinese culture.
His artistic practice incorporates calligraphy, zhan zhuang (standing meditation), breath and movement training, and the integration of physical and mental cultivation. He has conducted extensive research into Shuowen Jiezi (The Explanation of Simple and Analysis of Compound Characters) and has studied classical Chinese texts including the I Ching and the Book of Odes.
Shi Jie advocates the integration of the humanities and sciences, as well as the cultivation of both inner and outer disciplines. His research and artistic practice explore the mutual learning, integration, and contemporary application of Chinese and Western cultures, with particular attention to cultural heritage, physical and mental well-being, and the relationship between traditional knowledge and modern life.
LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS
· President，Chinese Calligraphy and Painting of Canada Association 2023–Present
· Founding President Atlantic Calligraphers Association 2017–2023
President, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd terms
Advisor
· Dulan Mountain Painting Academy
· World Cultural and Art Exchange Centre, Belgium
· International Painting and Calligraphy Research Fellow, Moret International Art Sketching Base, France
CURATORIAL AND ORGANIZING EXPERIENCE
2025
· Toronto International Masters New Year Painting and Calligraphy Exhibition
Greater Toronto Chinese Cultural Centre, Toronto, Canada
· International Intangible Cultural Heritage Painting and Calligraphy Exhibition
University of Toronto Campus, Toronto, Canada
2024
International Painting and Calligraphy Exhibition, Toronto City Hall, Toronto, Canada
2023
Toronto Orchid Painting and Calligraphy Exhibition, Stargo Art Centre, Toronto, Canada
2022
Toronto International Calligraphy Exhibition, Toronto City Hall, Toronto, Canada
2020
Taitung International Invitational Calligraphy Exhibition
2019
Joint Exhibition with Ye Guohua, Chairman of the Chinese Calligraphers Association (Taiwan)
Canadian Huaxia Cultural and Creative Art Gallery, Canada
2018
· Canadian Coordinator International Calligraphy Invitational Exhibition, China Calligraphy Building
· International Calligraphy Invitational Exhibition, M2 Gallery, Vaughan, Canada
SELECTED GROUP AND INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS
2025–2026
Korea International Culture and Art Grand Exhibition
2025
· Yu Youren Cup Calligraphy Grand Exhibition
· World Painting and Calligraphy Exhibition
· Korea Art Grand Exhibition — Invited Artist
2024
· Seoul International Art Festival
· Colorado International Calligraphy Exhibition
· China Affection: Ode to the Great Wall Overseas Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Exhibition
2023–2026
Po-eun International Calligraphy Exhibition 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Editions
2023
Korea–China–Japan Cultural Cooperation Art Festival
2020
Taipei International Calligraphy Exhibition
2018
First International Calligraphy Invitational Exhibition, China Calligraphy Building
2017
Hanmo Qingfeng International Invitational Exhibition, Toronto
AREAS OF ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL RESEARCH
· Chinese Calligraphy
· Traditional Chinese Culture
· Shuowen Jiezi Studies
· I Ching and Classical Chinese Literature
· Chinese Character Studies and Cultural Interpretation
· Integration of Humanities and Sciences
· Physical and Mental Cultivation
· Cross-Cultural Dialogue Between Chinese and Western Traditions
· Intangible Cultural Heritage
· International Cultural Exchange
· Contemporary Applications of Traditional Chinese Culture
Attaining true mastery in calligraphy requires not only skill but decades of sustained practice. In order to maintain his skill, ShiJie practices writing 5,000 scrolls a year. As calligraphy is an art form that incorporates not only the visual, but also the physical and spiritual, ShiJie incorporates Tai Chi into his practice and is a unique Tai Chi calligraphist. His Tai Chi calligraphy combines mind and body, and uses brush movements to reach moving meditation. ShiJie is proficient in The Book of Changes, The Book of Odes, The Analects of Confucius, The Way and Its Power, and other Chinese Classics. Since 1986, he has mastered 5 calligraphic forms - regular/standard script, running script, cursive/grass script, seal script, and clerical script. To learn more about Chinese calligraphy and its various script forms, see the About page. To view ShiJie's collection of works, see the Gallery.
ShiJie has experience with various types of commissioned artworks, for various purposes and budgets. Whether you are interested in a simple written name, a tattoo, or a large scale artwork, we are able to accommodate. If you are interested in commissioning a custom calligraphic work, Contact Us for more information.
About
Calligraphy was considered the highest visual art form in traditional China. Calligraphy and painting originated simultaneously, as they use the same tools and techniques - ink and brush. However, calligraphy was revered long before painting. Ancient China was a culture devoted to the power of the word - not only in sound and meaning, but also in visual representation of nature and the self.
About
Calligraphy was considered the highest visual art form in traditional China. Calligraphy and painting originated simultaneously, as they use the same tools and techniques - ink and brush. However, calligraphy was revered long before painting. Ancient China was a culture devoted to the power of the word - not only in sound and meaning, but also in visual representation of nature and the self.
As Chinese Calligraphy is an art form, its aesthetic and expressive qualities are independent of literal meaning. This, one does not need to be able to read Chinese to understand and appreciate the art.
Each Chinese word is represented by a symbol, a pictogram known as a "character". Rather than being depicted through phonetic sound, the meaning of Chinese characters are expressed iconically. It is because of this unique attribute that Chinese calligraphy is, rather than a simple means of communication, a sophisticated art form with significant visual meaning. Traditional writings about calligraphy states that the very form of a character should reveal itself to be a moral exemplar, as well as a manifestation of the energy of the human body and vitality of nature itself.
This abstraction and representation is made possible by the flexibility and complexity of calligraphic tools - the brush and ink. By adjusting the concentration and amount of ink, the artist can represent perhaps a jagged rock with a dry effect, or the flow of water with a wet brush. A Chinese calligraphy hair brush, unlike a pen or flat brush, can create many effects - thin, wide, strong, delicate, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional - depending on its pressure and speed.
By virtue of its flexibility, the calligraphic brush is complicated, requiring thousands of hours of practice to master. With such mastery, the brush becomes an extension of the artist's arm - the artist's body. The wielding of the brush reveals not only the meaning of the word and the visual representation, but also the artist himself.
Thus, no two works of art are the same - they are influenced by the state of the artist, revealing attributes such as impulsiveness, restraint, elegance, and rebelliousness. Out of all the Chinese visual arts, calligraphy is known of conveying the most emotion and spirit of the artist. In fact, twentieth-century American Abstract Expressionists felt a kinship to Chinese calligraphers!
Throughout the history of Chinese calligraphy, five major styles have emerged. They are shown in the 5 images above. Respectively, the styles are seal script (zhuànshū), clerical script (lìshū), semi-cursive/running script (xíngshū), cursive script (cǎoshū), and standard script (kǎishū). Each script originated from various stages of Chinese history, and each requires a different set of skills and techniques to master.
To read more about Chinese calligraphy, click on this link to be redirected to the Met Museum.