Writing the Heart with Wild Brushstrokes： The Aesthetic Construction and Life Expression of Xu Wei's Calligraphy

Abstract

Xu Wei's calligraphy-and-literature integrated works, which combine calligraphic form with literary connotations, fall into two primary categories. The first consists of poems inscribed on paintings. While preserving the unique artistic essence of traditional calligraphy, such works also embody cultural and emotional sustenance on a literary level. Taking these inscribed poems as a starting point to explore Xu Wei's aesthetic pursuits not only rests on solid academic foundations but also profoundly reveals the profound influence and inherent shaping of the aesthetic concepts of his era on his artistic thinking.The second category encompasses theoretical writings on calligraphy, including his treatises on calligraphy, inscriptions and colophons. A systematic collation and interpretation of his calligraphic ideas further demonstrates the diversity of creative approaches to calligraphy shaped by the pluralistic aesthetic trends of the late Ming Dynasty. A timeless tenet in classical Chinese calligraphy theory states："Calligraphy is the likeness of the self." This assertion lays bare the core essence of calligraphy art： the overall stylistic features of a calligraphic work are never mere isolated formal elements, but maintain a profound internal correspondence with the creator's moral cultivation and existential state.