Lee Shih-Chi is currently featured in Variations and Dialogues in Writing: Calligraphy and Design in a Contemporary Context at the Hengshan Calligraphy Art Center.
As one of the most prominent figures in Taiwan's post-war modern art movement, Lee Shih-Chi spent much of his career moving between tradition and modernity. Across printmaking, painting and mixed media, he brought the lines, rhythms and gestures of calligraphy into his work, gradually developing a distinctive visual language of his own.
For Lee, there was no need for calligraphy to remain legible as text. The speed of the brushstrokes, the rise and fall of a line, and the density of ink could themselves shape the rhythm of an image. When it comes to Lee's calligraphy inspired works, experiencing the movement and resonance of the writing itself is therefore more important than act of "reading" the words.
Hengshan Calligraphy Art Center is Taiwan's first publicly operated museum dedicated to the art of calligraphy. Architect Pan Tien-I incorporated the aesthetics of calligraphy and Zen into its design, transforming Taoyuan's characteristic pond landscape into an "ink pool", with the architecture unfolding like an inkstone and the five exhibition buildings scattered across the park like five carved seals.
The design received the Gold Award in the Best Planning and Design category at the 2018 FIABCI-Taiwan Real Estate Excellence Awards, and later won Gold at the 2022 FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence Awards, often described as one of the most prestigious honours in the architectural and real estate world. Before visitors even step into the galleries, they have already entered an architectural interpretation of calligraphy.
Variations and Dialogues in Writing: Calligraphy and Design in a Contemporary Context
Curator｜Yu Ming-Lung
Dates｜20 August–9 November 2026
Venue｜Hengshan Calligraphy Art Center, Buildings A, B and C
