By Ying Hu
The Chinese often believe that human beings are shaped by the land around them. The lofty Kunlun Mountains, stretching away for hundreds andthousands of miles, hasbred the mysterious and resplendent culture of Kunlun. The huge mountains and rivers of Kunlun, the ancestor of mountains which enjoys the eminent position inChinese culture, has cultivatedcalligrapher Guoan Bao of Kunlun School and set him as the most valuable brand for artistic collectors.
The third generation of Bao’s Calligraphy being a guest in ZXART
Guoan Bao has a courtesy name Rufo and several art titles as Kunlunshanren, Caotangzhaizhu, Sanjiangyuanren.He was born in a distinguished family of calligraphers as the third generation. His grandfather, Shouzhong Bao was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level in the Qing dynasty as well as a well-known calligrapher at that time. His father Changlu Bao had been studied in National Central University and served as a financial minister in military supplies. Then he devoted to education after China’s liberation. Whereby, he established a calligraphy style of his own and became thesenior master of Chinesecontemporary culture and calligraphy. The third generation, Guoan Bao started to learn calligraphy under the influence of his father when he was six. He had been worked in geological prospecting bureau of Qinghai Province.Havinggraduated from thecorrespondent college of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, he found a painting and calligraphy studio in 1992 and transferred his career to be a professional calligrapher.His works are featured with original style of Kunlun school in Chinese contemporary calligraphy and presented with magnificent, unconstrained andoutstanding atmosphere out of hissolid foundation in calligraphy.
At present, Mr. Bao, the third generation of the Bao’s, is entitled as a national-level artist. He is also the deputy to the People’s Congress in Qinghai Province, a member and a standing committee of CPPCC in Xining city, amember of ChineseArtistsAssociation, a member ofChinese List Calligrapher Association, a standing director ofChinaYouthCalligraphersAssociation, the vice president of People’s Artists Association, the curator of Beijing Bao’s Calligraphy Gallery, thehonorary curator of Shanghai Bao’s Calligraphy Gallery, the president of Sanjiangyuan Art gallery in Qinghai, the vice president of Xining Calligraphers Association, an academician of Paintings and Calligraphy Gallery ofChina Democratic League, a council member of China’s National Chamber of Antique Commerce, the vice president of Qinghai Collectors Association, the Exc-president of Qinghai Stone Culture Seminar, the distinguished curator of Shengshihuazu Paintings and Calligraphy Gallery in Beijing, a professional representative ofEducation, Science, Culture and Health Committee of People’s Congress of Qinghai, a member of Qinghai Youth Committee, a council member of Qinghai Calligrahers Association and etc. In 2009 and 2010, he was honored as the promotion ambassador of public welfare program of China.
On 18th May, 2016, Mr. Bao signed the International ArtworkAuthentication Agreement with ZXART.COM for the building of his only online platform for authentic artwork trading and theguarantee ofauthentication for all his artworks showcased on ZXART.COMfunctions, such as Online Shop, Online Auction and 3D Showroom.
Guoan Bao On The Signing Ceremony
Mr. Bao is the only Chinese calligrapher who was bornin acalligraphers’ family as the third generation. Since the childhood, he had been nurtured in rich culture of Chinesetradition and destined to grow in calligraphy art. He started to learn calligraphy at 6 years old under the influence of his fatherand got onto to the way of calligraphy art through untiring practices during the schooling years, from preliminary school, junior high school, middle school to university. When he was studying in university, he undertook the whole thing of blackboard newsletter in the class as a matter of course thanks to hisproficiency in brush calligraphy, and won the prizes in every session ofblackboard competition in the department. As stated by Guoan Bao, that was the greatest benefit granted by calligraphy for him to do the writing with facility. After graduation, he was assigned to work in QinghaiGeology and Minerals Bureau affiliated to Office of Land and resources aftergraduation for 8 years. While he was deeply attached to calligraphy and the inheritance of calligraphy art but never quitted studying on calligraphy until today. Even after the establishment of Shanghai Bao’s Calligrapy Research Society and the other related six galleries, he keeps practicing for 5 or 6 hours even to 8 yearsevery day. Mr. Bao said that,“A calligrapher shall look back to works of our precedents in order to make innovation, alternate betweenretrospection and innovation and at last become mature. Calligraphy is acquired through accumulation while art is passing down overgenerations, yet the innovation of calligraphycannot be made upon nothing. Many people may make light of the precedent and tradition in the seeking of innovation. That’s a groundless statement without thinking about the fact.”
Mr. Bao has carried forward the essence of Bao’s Calligraphy overgenerations with the profound heritage and unique style in his artworks. He creates magnificent, elegant and unconstrainedatmosphere in calligraphy to the characteristic of Kunlun Mountains.The incisive performance of his writing is as smooth asdrifting clouds and flowing water,revealing spiritual details andsuperb scenery in the whole work. The president of Chinese Calligraphers Association, Hai Zhang commended that Mr. Bao has applied bold and intense writing style and wielded the brush to show the outburst of ink, presenting strong visual impact in the composition and expression of prosperous ages in the works that are of high value forappreciation andcollection. Besides, thereis numerous praises given by several respected Chinese artists upon Mr. Bao’s achievement incalligraphy. Mr. Bao states that,“There are two conditions to become an artist: talent anddiligence. Without the other, any one of them would not make a great artist but onlyan artistic craftsman toimitate the precedent instead of to create his own style.”
Guoan Bao and the Causes of Buddhism.
In recent years, since the calligraphy of Mr.Bao is dignified, elegant, bold as if made by heaven, it‘s well prevailing among major publicationpresses and appeared onr hundreds of works of artistic book name and celebrity books. What is worth mentioning is that, Bao’s calligraphy is widely popularized amongBuddhists. Forexample, the horizontal inscribed board hung in a renownedBuddhist temple, the Jingtu Temple at the foot of Maiji Mountain in Tianshui city, Gansu province, is a work created by Guoan Bao. According to the story, Mr. Bao’s visit to the temple was coincided with the forecast of Haizhang Master who was in charge of temple. The master, painting desk and four treasures for studies had been ready before Mr. Bao arriving the temple. In a while, Mr. Bao completed the three golden characters“The pure land temple” in the unexpected condition.Similar occasions has been happened to many temples and Mr. Bao.The author regards that, the calligraphy of Guoan Bao is adored for its magnificent and elegantexpression with the spirit ofpalace; Mr. Bao is highly respected for his imposing appearance connecting withBuddha nature. However, the classic calligraphy art handed over from his ancestors is very rare in a thousand years. These should be the secret why Gaoan Bao’s calligraphy is endeared toBuddhist and collectors. Indeed, Mr. Bao and his works deserve the reputations all over the world.
In 2009, an exhibition of Bao’s Calligraphy was held in Shanghai Pudong International Exhibition Center for a period of 5 days. Surprisingly, the local collectors showed extreme interest to Bao’s calligraphy and collected over 30 pieces of art works out of the 68 items showcased in the exhibition. They fullyrecognized the magnificent and bold performance of Kunlun Calligraphy in the artworks. Mr. Bao was rather gratified at the results, though he regards that art and knowledge is boundless and heshall continue to study hard in art field. In 2010, The Art Gallery of Bao’s Calligraphy was set up in Shanghai.In 2012, the second gallery was established in Beijing. In 2014, the third gallery of Bao’s calligraphy was found in Xiamen. Bao’s calligraphy has arouse high rates from all levels of the society and cherished by collectors at home and abroad.
In 2013, on the National Competition of Paintings and Calligraphy organized for the celebration of the 120th anniversary of Chairman Mao’s Birthday, Mr. Bao won the golden prize of calligraphy and a reward of RMB500,000 on the event. The award-winning work has been collected in Great Hall of the People and granted with a collection certificate. Mr. Bao’s calligraphy has been presented on hundreds of major exhibitions in China and the worldwide. He has been toured around China mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore,Malaysia, Canada, Korea, Japan, Russia and Europe countries. One of the runningscripts created by Mr. Bao in the title of Prelude To Water Melody of Sushi has been hanging in the hall of Singapore Museum.
Calligraphy Works by Guoan Bao
The popularizing of Mr. Bao’s calligraphy among collectors and the driving of economic interests has forced a lot of counterfeits to flow into the market. Mr. Bao told the journalist that many collectors went to his hometown from Beijing, Shanghai, Gansu, Ningxia and Qinghai to search for his works. They collected a few genuine articles in the early years but there is more counterfeits now.