When Shiy De-jiin was studying at Hangzhou National Academy of Art, his professor, Lin Feng-mian, inspired him to attach importance to lines: by practicing day and night, you can create whatever lines and shapes you desire. The idea of “being an honest man and painting in a truthful manner” also strengthened Shiy’s belief in artistic creation. In the 1950s, under the influence of French artist Bernard Buffet’s powerful contours, Shiy used lines with powerful strength to depict people, landscapes, architecture, and even his signature.

In his later years, Shiy intended to reform Chinese ink wash painting. He said, “The foundation of Chinese painting is in its lines and calligraphy. Lines emphasize contours and shapes. Calligraphy is an ever-changing balance between control and mastery of brushwork.” The development of watercolor paintings can gain a lot from calligraphy. Shiy therefore began to study calligraphy in 1969. He diligently practiced calligraphy every day out of his passion for lines. He believed, “In Chinese painting, artists must reach their seventies or eighties in order to produce their most outstanding piece of work. This is particularly true for the art of calligraphy, that one can never reach one’s peak until ‘the person and the work are both in maturity’. This is something that does not exist in the work of Western artists. . . .”

Written in 1979, “The Poem Man Jiang Hong in Running Script” is a masterpiece of calligraphy on five pieces of paper. It is also currently known as Shiy’s largest work of calligraphy. In running script, his strokes are bold, his lines forceful and vigorous, incisively demonstrating the passionate and patriotic sentiments of General Yue Fei in the Song Dynasty. In her book, art critic Cheng Hui-mei describes Shiy’s style of calligraphy: “The inscription written in running script Shiy made on his ink wash painting in 1972 was smooth and delicate, similar to his hand-writing. In his later years, however, his calligraphy began to show a sense of boldness. His masterly skill allowed him to wield his brush without hindrance to demonstrate his distinct personality.” (Cheng Hui-mei, The Art and Calligraphy of Shiy De-jinn, Hsiung Shih Art Monthly, Fabruary, 1995) Shiy told his students he exerted his willpower to write calligraphy. Inscribing his lines with the power of pushing a rock would make them heavy and strong. In “The Poem Man Jiang Hong in Running Script”, Shiy’s passionate emotion is fully saturated across the paper: it can be seen as a record of the artist’s confident and resolute trajectory of life.