OLYMPIA COLLEGE IPOH USHERS CNY WITH CALLIGRAPHY COMPETITION

The Executive Business Club of Olympia College Ipoh recently organized a Chinese Calligraphy Competition to welcome the Chinese New Year.

Chinese Calligraphy is an East Asian tradition that forms an important part of Chinese culture. Calligraphy has influenced ink and wash painting, which is accomplished using similar tools and techniques. Calligraphy has also led to the development of many forms of art in East Asia, including seal carving, ornate paperweights, and ink stones.

Calligraphy is not only a practical technique for writing Chinese characters, but also a unique Oriental art of expression. Correct strokes, stroke order, character structure, balance, and rhythm are essential in calligraphy. How the brush is held depends on the calligrapher and which calligraphic genre is practiced.

Commonly, the brush is held vertically straight gripped between the thumb and middle finger. Through the medium of form, way of handling the brush, presentation, and style, calligraphy conveys the   character, emotions, esthetic feelings and culture of the artist by the power of appeal and beauty.

Students were given 5 minutes to practice their strokes after watching the demonstration, and then 20 minutes to write out 4 Chinese characters from an auspicious Chinese New Year proverb on a piece of red paper. The phrases the participants were required to write were “Welcome the New Year”, “Wishing everyone prosperity”, “Wishing everyone a bright future” and “Wishing everyone success and all the best.”

Ms Cindy Evans, the Principal of Olympia College, Ipoh said “The Calligraphy Competition is the brainchild of the Executive Business Club, and is held in conjunction with the  Chinese New Year . We wanted to do something that represents the spirit of Chinese New Year and to keep the art of Calligraphy alive.”

More than 20 students took part in the competition. While most had their primary and secondary education in Chinese schools and learnt the art of Calligraphy, there were also participants who do not know Chinese. Even more suprising, there were non-Chinese students who participated in the event.

One of them, Cecilia Roberts, said “I was just wanted to try out something different. It looked interesting and I have many Chinese friends who encouraged me to give it a go”

The winner was Patricia Foo, a Hotel Programme student. Second prize went to Jiang Rui Xiang, a foreign student studying English and third was Chiew Wai Sim, also a Hotel Programme student. Each received cash prizes.