Introduction to Chinese Calligraphy with Masters Zhou Jianhuang & Silvio Ferragina

The appointment dedicated to Chinese Calligraphy on 30 January in the Brera Palace closed the special program of events organised in Milan by the Istituto Italo Cinese to celebrate the cultural traditions associated with the Spring Festival, and welcome the Year of the Snake.

The ancient art of Chinese Calligraphy is certainly among the oldest and most fascinating traditional practices related to New Year celebrations. It lends itself to different types and declinations, which have evolved over the years to contemporary artistic expressions. It is a practice that requires the use of specific tools and techniques.

Hosted in the Sala Bassetti, thanks to the support of the Pinacoteca di Brera, the meeting was also a unique opportunity for the students of the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, who spontaneously joined the guests passing through the spaces of the Brera Palace.

Two Chinese Calligraphy Masters were invited for the occasion: Zhou Jianhuang, President of the Artistic Association of Chinese Calligraphy Poetry and Painting in Italy, and Silvio Ferragina, Calligraphy Artist and Aerospace Engineer at the Milan Polytechnic, to demonstrate that the language of calligraphy is universal and can be practised and understood by everyone, even if they speak a different language, because it is first and foremost an art form.

The event was opening with the welcome greetings by Alessandro Coscia for the Pinacoteca di Brera, which hosted and supported the event. This was followed by institutional greetings from the President of the Istituto Italo Cinese, Maria Rosa Azzolina, and from Marco Griguolo of the Metropolitan City of Milan.

At this point, the two master calligraphers introduced the main features of this art and after a brief theoretical overview, a performative moment followed with live writing of typical Chinese New Year characters, which were then given to the audience in the hall.