與誰同坐－卜茲與他的好友
文｜謝淑敏
異雲書屋於台北藝術週策劃《與誰同坐——卜茲與他的好友》展；「與誰同坐」擷取蘇東坡《點絳唇・閑倚胡床》詞句，借此彰顯卜茲自由瀟灑的性格，與大自然為友的浪漫風姿，意喻卜茲偶來與古人大家心領神會。此展覽重點介紹卜茲作品，根據作品集的內容，輔以期刊、文獻與展覽履歷的紀實影像，主題式爬梳創作脈絡，盡可能勾勒全面性的卜茲藝術。此展引用歷史性的照片翻拍為主視覺揭開序幕——1999年2月典藏藝術策劃專題：藝術家的收藏，雜誌社刊登「卜茲打開作品身影」照片——更難得展出雜誌照片中「被打開的那件作品：敝裘短策」，以主題方式探究卜茲標示性的巨大尺幅、大字狂草書創作軌跡。
卜茲（1959–2013），本名陳宗琛，台灣台南人。早年任職於臺北歷史博物館展覽組，對傳統文化有深厚濡染。他對各體書法兼備貫通，尤以狂草為其擅長。創作核心全然地源自於東方哲學思想，追求「技與道」全然地實現。
此展焦點：〈敝裘短策〉180 × 90 cm，「敝裘短策去翩翩，昨奉離觴似隔年。目送浮雲悲遠道，心隨飛鳥向遙天。河流繞岸紛成渡，馬驟將塵踏作煙。客裏自甘如此景，不堪持贈玉堂仙。」款識「卜茲時客三謙堂」即是在好友家作客時寫下的作品。是卜茲臨明代詩書畫大家徐渭之作。詩意描述徐州道中寄給陶兩翰的感慨情懷，藉由自己破舊的衣袍和短劍，帶出離別時的感受，展現了詩人內心的孤獨與對朋友的思念。藉以浮雲、飛鳥、河流等意象，表達了對遠方的嚮往和不捨，展現了詩人豁達的心境和對自然的感悟。
1999年下半年，卜茲由台北搬回台南前夕，與好友會聚當下的氛圍使他興致隨性而抒，借徐渭詩文相互共鳴留下此作。隔年，台中．靜宜大學藝術中心舉辦卜茲書法個展，〈敝裘短策〉也是展件之一，同時著錄《卜茲狂草世界》，綜合上述，我們可知卜茲相當重視且喜愛此作，整幅作品散發出雄強渾厚結體、繚繞強烈筆勢，自然流露張瑞圖、傅山的筆意，巧妙地融合徐渭之詩詞轉化為此件作品的特色；此件創作時卜茲約40歲，說明他對於傳統技法的臨習已有深刻的體悟，且領會晚明寫大字、大作的古人大家心法。為往後卜茲標示性的巨大尺幅、大字狂草書注入深厚的基礎。
本次展覽亦很難得展出1997年卜茲寫唐朝孟浩然〈春曉〉，通篇散發壯年的企圖，隨著明朝書風融合著張瑞圖、傅山的氣質，又加入少許個人的氣質，作品尺幅不大，通篇洋溢著年輕活力，不失是一件令人愉悅的作品。
此外，特別提供卜茲臨古尺牘三件，2001年〈擬倪元璐尺牘〉29.5 × 14 cm / 10冊頁，2001年〈臨黃庭堅教審帖〉30 × 17 cm / 3冊頁，和2011年〈臨黃庭堅教審帖〉38 × 26.5 cm / 3冊頁。尺牘清晰可讀，卜茲古典世界的精進，不僅技巧的追求並存於心智的成熟，領會古典大家精神；2001年的尺牘散發精微與典雅，2011年的線質相對地更顯自信、隨意自由。
值得一提的是，這套〈擬倪元璐尺牘〉29.5 × 14cm / 10冊頁，釋文：略，後款：
久不擬鴻寶先生書而失之遠矣
偶於峰彰先生處得觀舊籍有鴻寶與同母弟元瓚札
此書真情流露神采奕奕吾喜而臨之惟以意為之
莫能畢誚只請峰彰先生一笑
辛巳十一月卜茲並記於花園里之東山草堂
當年鴻展藝術中心吳先生經營近現代水墨書畫的畫廊，特別注重技術功底厚度，舉辦卜茲書法1996年個展與1999年、2001年兩次聯展。在畫廊不普及的年代，願意策辦年輕人的展覽，實屬難得。後款有感於吳老闆的支持，二則用實際行動表示——我的書法是源於傳統古典。卜茲藝術創作道路上，吳先生不僅是卜茲藝術知音，更是重要市場推手。
縱觀之，1989年台北新生畫廊首次個展「醉墨淋漓—陳宗琛書法展」、1996年台北鴻展藝術中心「狂草．真書 卜茲書法展」與高雄柴山藝文空間「心象．空間 卜茲書法展」，至2000年台中靜宜大學藝術中心「卜茲書法個展」，儘管這十年來歷經幾次個展發表，大環境對於書法市場行情普遍是低價格，生活面臨挑戰，卻更加砥勵往前邁進，常寄情與自然為友，與古人亦師亦友追求傳統古典滋養，孜孜矻矻的鍛練下，深植生命的體悟。
接著，我們將目光轉向現場另外二件創作於2008年、2009年的焦點作品，卜茲歷經數年再接再厲功夫鍛鍊，可謂朝夕沉酣其中，點滴滲入古典場域，轉化創作爆發強大的能量，可貴來自於生命裡的逆境，成就內在精神力的蛻變；他更深入經藏，不僅技術精熟，隨著年紀增長，生命更加豁達，作品亦發精彩。卜茲如常的生活態度，多元性的藝術交流，更篤定他表達的藝術觀點。
2008年的〈山色秋〉詩文取自石濤畫論。單字結構已顯自由放鬆，通篇嘗試線的曲折、點量的變化，與墨噴滴等等，展現一種令觀者隨著墨之韻、線之動構成起落有致的神秘生命樂章。
另件，2009年〈暗香飛舞〉234 × 339 cm，詩文：「冬去春來萬象開，門前槭樹換新裳，蜂蝶飛舞似吟遊，暗香吹拂老芒堂。己丑春溪心人卜茲錄舊作。」根據林進忠〈陳宗琛──書海遊俠．心畫新造〉文章寫道：「卜茲二○○五年八月的〈生活札記〉云：『從台北搬家回故里台南已超過七年，由於南台灣生活步調較北部慢，⋯⋯，生活更加的輕鬆淡然，而灑掃庭除、寫書法與洗心禪坐是家居生活的主軸，已有十餘年自由創作的日子，生活中自然理出一種規則。』」卜茲偶有感於心景即記錄，此首詩應運而生。描繪當時卜茲回家鄉的第一間工作室老芒樹屋（長北書屋）景境，道出生活輕鬆自在，創作也自然而然的融入生活裡。
書法創作必然需要技術的鍛鍊，歷經數十年光景，毎個階段臨習體悟、生命觀照相繼得到相對層次的滋養；生活週邊、友人交往、藝術探索、畫廊展覽、出外踏青等等，就是他的日常，他的藝術，絕對在作品上留下痕跡，希望透過此展觀眾依循可讀的訊息體驗具有溫度的卜茲藝術世界。
——
資料參考：
李逸塵，〈卜茲陳宗琛因收藏而書藝精進〉，典藏藝術雜誌，1999年2月77期，頁160-163。
〈卜茲陳宗琛因收藏而書藝精進〉，典藏藝術雜誌，1999年2月77期，頁160。攝影：程方。
林進忠，〈陳宗琛──書海遊俠．心畫新造〉，台灣藝術經典大系〔書法藝術卷5〕筆歌墨舞・任心馳騁，文化總會・藝術家出版社，2006年。
〈醉墨淋漓陳宗琛書法展〉，新生畫廊，雄獅美術。廣告，頁53。1989年9月。
——
作者介紹｜謝淑敏
向原藝術畫廊 創辦人暨負責人；獨立策展人；私人企業藝術顧問
策展經歷
2014 「線性超越．卜茲旋書展」，智慧山藝術中心，天津，中國
2013 「卜茲萬化之鋒．醉舞旋書展」，奧賽畫廊，上海，中國
2012 「卜茲八鋒旋書．乞水狂草」，蘇州博物館，蘇州，中國
2011 「自由生命靈性的舞動─洪通&余承堯作品展」，向原藝術畫廊，台南，台灣
2010 「生命能量的湧現─蕭勤創作展」，向原藝術畫廊，台南，台灣
——
Seated Among Kindred Spirits — Bu Zi and His Companions
by Hsieh Shu-Min
Yi Yun Art presents Seated Among Kindred Spirits — Bu Zi and His Companions at Taipei Art Week. The title Seated Among Kindred Spirits is drawn from a poem of Su Dongpo(蘇軾,1037–1101), “Dian Jiang Chun · Leisurely Leaning on a Hu Chair,” evoking Bu Zi’s unrestrained temperament and his romantic affinity with nature. It further implies those moments when Bu Zi, across time, seemed to commune in spirit with the great masters of the past.
The exhibition focuses on Bu Zi’s oeuvre, drawing primarily from his collected works and supplemented by documentary materials—magazine articles, publications, and photographic records of his exhibition history—to trace the thematic evolution of his art and to present as comprehensive a picture of Bu Zi’s artistic world as possible.
The exhibition opens with a historical image as its key visual—a reprint from Art and Collection magazine’s February 1999 special feature “Artists’ Collections,” which published a photograph titled Bu Zi Unfolding His Work. Remarkably, the very piece shown being “unfolded” in that photograph—Worn Cloak and Short Cane (敝裘短策)—is presented here for the first time, forming the thematic core for exploring Bu Zi’s signature large-scale, monumental cursive-script (wild cursive) calligraphic works.
Bu Zi (1959–2013), Chen Zong-Shen born in Tainan, Taiwan, formerly served in the Exhibition Department of the National Museum of History in Taipei, where he developed a profound grounding in traditional culture. Mastering multiple calligraphic styles, he was particularly renowned for his mastery of Wild Cursive. The essence of his creative practice was deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy, devoted to realizing the complete unity of techne and dao—of skill and the Way.
The centerpiece of this exhibition is Worn Cloak and Short Cane (敝裘短策) (180 × 90 cm). The poem inscribed reads:
“My worn cloak and short cane, I set off light of heart;
Last night’s farewell toast feels already a year apart.
Eyes follow drifting clouds with sorrow for the distant way,
My heart flies with the birds toward the far-off sky.
The river winds round the shore, forming countless crossings,
Hooves thunder and raise dust that turns into mist.
As a wanderer, I take solace in such scenes,
Yet I cannot bear to offer this to a Jade Hall immortal.”
The colophon reads, “Bu Zi, as a guest at Sanqian Hall,” indicating that this work was written while visiting a close friend. It is Bu Zi’s copy after a work by the Ming-dynasty polymath Xu Wei (徐渭1521–1593), renowned for his poetry, painting, and calligraphy. Xu’s poem, originally sent to his friend Tao Liang Han (陶兩翰 生卒年不詳) while traveling through Xuzhou, conveys the poet’s poignant feelings of departure—using the image of a tattered cloak and short sword to evoke solitude and longing. Through symbols such as drifting clouds, flying birds, and winding rivers, Xu expressed both yearning for the distant and an open-hearted communion with nature.
In the latter half of 1998, on the eve of his move from Taipei back to his hometown Tainan, Bu Zi composed this piece in a moment of convivial spontaneity among friends, finding deep resonance with Xu Wei’s verse. In 2000, Worn Cloak and Short Cane was exhibited at Bu Zi’s solo calligraphy exhibition at the Art Center of Providence University in Taichung and documented in The World of Bu Zi’s Wild Cursive. These records attest to how much the artist valued this work.
The composition radiates vigorous and robust structure, charged with swirling, forceful strokes that naturally recall the calligraphic spirit of Zhang Ruitu (張瑞圖1570–1641) and Fu Shan (傅山1607–1684). In it, Bu Zi transforms Xu Wei’s poetic imagery into a dynamic visual form, achieving a synthesis of emotional lyricism and calligraphic power. Created around the age of forty, this work reveals Bu Zi’s profound understanding of traditional brush methods and his grasp of the expressive principles that guided the great late-Ming masters of large-scale cursive writing—laying the foundation for the monumental, free-spirited style that would later become his hallmark.
This exhibition also features the rarely seen Spring Dawn(春曉) (1997), Bu Zi’s calligraphic rendering of a poem by the Tang poet Meng Haoran (孟浩然689–740). The work exudes the vigor and ambition of his mature years. It reflects a Ming-dynasty stylistic synthesis—merging the spirited qualities of Zhang Ruitu and Fu Shan —while infusing a distinctly personal flair. Though modest in size, the piece radiates youthful energy and an unrestrained charm that makes it an especially delightful work to behold.
In addition, the exhibition presents three of Bu Zi’s model-letter copies (臨古尺牘)—a genre in which the artist faithfully studies classical correspondence to internalize the spirit of the ancients. The works include:
．In the style of Ni Yuanlu’s Letters (擬倪元璐尺牘) (2001), 29.5 × 14 cm, 10 album leaves;
．Model Copy after Huang Tingjian’s Jiaoshen Tie (臨黃庭堅教審帖)(2001), 30 × 17 cm, 3 album leaves; and
．Model Copy after Huang Tingjian’s Jiaoshen Tie (臨黃庭堅教審帖) (2011), 38 × 26.5 cm, 3 album leaves.
These letters, written with lucid legibility, reveal Bu Zi’s ever-deepening engagement with the classical world—not only in the refinement of skill but also in the maturation of spirit and intellect. The 2001 pieces possess a delicate precision and courtly elegance, whereas the 2011 set demonstrates a freer, more confident line—evidence of an artist whose mastery had evolved into natural ease.
Of particular note is the In the style of Ni Yuanlu’s Letters (擬倪元璐尺牘) (29.5 × 14 cm, 10 album leaves, 2001). The colophon reads:
“It has been long since I last emulated Master Hongbao (倪元璐 號鴻寶 1593-1644)’s writing, and my distance from it has grown.
By chance, at Mr. Fengzhang’s place, I came upon an old volume containing letters between Hongbao and his younger brother Yuanzan(倪元瓚 生卒年不詳).
Their writing brims with genuine emotion and radiant spirit; I took great pleasure in copying it, guided only by feeling.
I cannot claim full fidelity—let this bring a smile to Mr. Fengzhang.
Written by Bu Zi at Dongshan Studio, Huayuanli, in the eleventh month of the year Xinsi (2001).”
At that time, Mr. Wu, director of Hong Zhan Gallery, specialized in modern and contemporary ink painting and calligraphy, emphasizing artists’ technical depth and classical foundation. He organized Bu Zi’s solo calligraphy exhibition in 1996 and included him again in two group shows in 1999 and 2001. During an era when commercial galleries were still few in Taiwan, his willingness to promote a young calligrapher was remarkable.
Bu Zi, deeply moved by Mr. Wu’s support, responded with both gratitude and conviction—through his works, he affirmed that his calligraphy was firmly rooted in the classical tradition. In Bu Zi’s artistic journey, Mr. Wu was not only a discerning connoisseur but also a crucial advocate who helped introduce his art to the broader market.
Looking across his early career, Bu Zi’s first solo exhibition Intoxicated Ink: The Calligraphy of Chen Zong-Shen was held at Shin Sheng Gallery in Taipei in 1989, followed by Cursive．Regular Script—Bu Zi’s Calligraphy world at Hong Zhan Gallery in 1996, and Mindscape．Space — Calligraphy by Bu Zi at Chaishan Art Space in Kaohsiung. His solo exhibition at the Art Center of Providence University in Taichung in 2000 further consolidated his position as a major calligrapher of his generation.
Although the calligraphy market during the 1990s remained modest, offering little financial reward, Bu Zi pressed on with steadfast resolve. He found solace in nature and communion with the ancients—regarding them both as teachers and companions. Through years of disciplined practice and inner refinement, he cultivated a deeply personal understanding of life, allowing his art to grow from both classical nourishment and lived experience.
We now turn our attention to two focal works from 2008 and 2009. After years of unremitting practice, Bu Zi had reached a point of complete immersion—his daily life steeped in calligraphic discipline, each stroke imbued with the resonance of the classical tradition. From this deep cultivation emerged an explosive creative energy, refined through adversity and transformed into spiritual strength.
By this time, Bu Zi had delved more profoundly into Buddhist scriptures and Daoist philosophy, his technical mastery accompanied by an expanding sense of ease and openness with age. His works from this period manifest a remarkable vitality born of inner clarity. In both his daily conduct and his multifaceted artistic exchanges, Bu Zi revealed an ever more assured and integrated vision of art and life.
The 2008 work Autumn in the Mountains (山色秋) draws its inscription from Shitao’s (1642–1707) Comments on Painting (石濤畫論). In this piece, the structure of individual characters reveals an increasing freedom and relaxation. Throughout, Bu Zi experiments with twists and inflections of line, variations of dots and density, and the spontaneous effects of splashed or dripping ink. The result is a rhythmic and dynamic composition—a mysterious symphony of life, guided by the pulse of ink and the movement of line.
Another major work from 2009, Fragrance in Motion (暗香飛舞) (234 × 339 cm), bears the inscription:
“Winter departs, and spring arrives—ten thousand forms awaken anew.
The maple before my door dons a fresh robe.
Bees and butterflies flutter like wandering minstrels,
Fragrant breezes drift through the Old Mango House.
Recorded by Bu Zi, the man of Chunxi, in the spring of the jichou year (2009).”
According to Lin Chin-Chung (林進忠)’s essay Chen Tsung-Chen — The Gallant of the Calligraphic Seas, the Creator of Heart-Paintings, Bu Zi once wrote in his Life Notes (August 2005):
“It has been more than seven years since I moved from Taipei back to my hometown of Tainan. Life in southern Taiwan flows at a slower pace... My days are now calm and unhurried.
Sweeping the courtyard, writing calligraphy, and meditative sitting have become the core of my daily rhythm. Over a decade of free creation has naturally distilled into its own quiet order.”
The poem in Fragrance in Motion emerged from this serene state of being—a spontaneous record of the artist’s inner landscape. It portrays the scene of his first studio in his hometown, the Old Mango House (also called Changbei Studio), evoking a sense of ease and freedom in daily life where creation unfolds as naturally as breathing.
Calligraphic creation necessarily requires long years of disciplined practice. Over the decades, Bu Zi’s continuous study, introspection, and evolving view of life nurtured each successive stage of his artistic growth. The rhythms of daily living—interactions with friends, artistic explorations, exhibitions with galleries, and excursions into nature—were not separate from his art but its very substance.
Traces of this lived experience are inscribed in every work. Through this exhibition, the viewer is invited to follow these visible and heartfelt signs, entering a world of Bu Zi’s art that is alive with warmth, presence, and humanity.
——
Reference:
1. Lee, I-Chen. “Chen Zong-Shen’s Calligraphy Refined Through Collecting (Tentative Translation)", Art and Collection, no. 77 (February 1999): 160–163.
2. “Chen Zong-Shen’s Calligraphy Refined Through Collecting (Tentative Translation)”, Art and Collection, no. 77 (February 1999): 160. Photograph by Cheng Fang.
3. Lin Chin-Chung. “Chen Tsung-Chen — The Gallant of the Calligraphic Seas, the Creator of Heart-Paintings (Tentative Translation)”, In The Classics of Taiwanese Art: Calligraphy Vol. 5 — Dancing Brush, Flowing Ink: The Freedom of the Heart, Taipei: Council for Cultural Affairs & Artist Publishing Co., 2006.
4. “Intoxicated Ink: The Calligraphy of Chen Zong-Shen” Exhibition advertisement, Shin Sheng Gallery, in Lion Art Magazine, September 1989, p. 53.
——
About the Author | Hsieh Shu-Min
Founder and Director of Elisa Gallery; Independent Curator; and Private Corporate Art Consultant.
Curatorial Experience
Beyond the Line・Sacred Wild Cursive — Bu Zi’s Revolving Calligraphy, Wisdom Mountain Art Center, Tianjin, China (2014).
The Art of Soul・Sacred Wild Cursive — Bu Zi, Author Gallery, Shanghai, China (2013).
Marvelous Art・Sacred Wild Cursive — Bu Zi Solo Exhibition, Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, China (2012).
The Dance of Free and Spiritual Life — Works by Hung Tung & Yu Cheng-Yao, Elisa Gallery, Tainan, Taiwan (2011).
The Emergence of Vital Energy — Works by Hsiao Chin, Elisa Gallery, Tainan, Taiwan (2010).
