GU WENDA (B. 1955)

Inspired by his pseudo character series a decade earlier, Gu Wenda began to develop a practical and applicable way to form meaningful phrases by combining two or more characters into one in the 1990s. Using the traditional method of ink rubbing, Gu worked with expert craftsmen to have steles quarried and polished; they then engraved Gu's calligraphy carefully following the nuances of his brushworks. To create the rubbing, a moistened paper was laid on the stele and pressed onto the engravings. Once the paper was dried, a soft pad soaked with ink was tamped on the surface, so that the cavities would not be stained with ink and the engraved calligraphy was clearly shown in white against was a black background.