Taiwanese calligrapher's works grace The Met in New York

New York, Nov. 21 (CNA) Renowned Taiwanese calligrapher Tong Yang-tze (董陽孜) on Thursday unveiled two monumental calligraphy pieces inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York in what an official called "an honor" for Taiwan.

The two pieces are showcased parallel at The Met's Great Hall as a part of the "Dialogue" exhibition commissioned by the museum for its historic display space.

The presence of the works in the museum reflects Tong's attempt at cultivating a visual dialogue between Chinese writing and museum architecture, according to The Met.

Walking into the Great Hall, visitors can feast their eyes upon the 82-year-old artist's big calligraphies written in a combination of semi-cursive and regular Chinese script.

Each one of Tong's pieces contains poetry excerpts from different Chinese literature.

On one side of the wall, an excerpt from the Chinese "Classic of Poetry" encourages the consideration of the opinions of others to elevate oneself. The other piece's words were taken from the poetry of Song Dynasty scholar Su Shi (蘇軾), who implored people to act when it is fitting and to stop when necessary.

In a rare public appearance, the camera-shy Tong engaged in a conversation with Lesley Ma (馬唯中), a curator in The Met's Department of Modern and Contemporary Art. Ma launched the exhibition on Thursday with a dialogue centered on Tong's two featured works.

Tong told Ma that Dialogue manifested as a conversation with herself.

The selection of the excerpts to be translated onto paper was due to the profound weight of the words, which are fitting for a space as prestigious as The Met, Tong said.

Moreover, Tong said the poetry in her calligraphy reflects the principles she lives by. She hopes that visitors who view the works will grasp their meaning, fostering a dialogue between her and her audience.

Tong also specifically pointed out Su's lines, saying that abiding by the wisdom of the words could cultivate sincerity among people.

Taiwan's representative to the United States, Alexander Yui (俞大㵢), said at the exhibition's opening that showcasing Tong's two works alongside both historical and contemporary exhibits in a museum of The Met's stature was an "incredible honor for Taiwan."

Tong began writing calligraphy as a child and eventually received a fine arts degree from National Taiwan Normal University in 1966.

Tong then furthered her studies to acquire a Masters in Fine Arts degree in ceramics and oil painting from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in the U.S. in 1970.

The artist is renowned for writing monumental pieces of calligraphy with cursive Chinese script, which embodies both calligraphy traditions and the visual composition of Western art philosophy.

On her creative process, Tong said the same words she puts on paper may be presented completely differently depending on her mood, the space she's working in, and the time.

The Dialogue exhibition will run through April 8 next year.