「Look at the Picture and Talk about the Painting」An artistic breakthrough in a single breath

When I explained to Gigi Hadid that in Western traditional perception, “black and white” represents the visual manifestation of sketches or prints, while in the East there are also forms of rubbings or inscriptions! Chinese calligraphy can do the same. She was astonished to ask if calligraphy could be printed on fashionable white shirts? When Xu Jing interpreted Karl Lagerfeld’s concept of “design as breathing” with ink calligraphy, transforming the word “breathing” into the flowing lines between the brushstrokes, no one expected this to become the best expression of Karl Lagerfeld’s philosophy.

The varying degrees of thickness, dryness and wetness of the brushstrokes are freely expressed on the paper. However, when written on the cotton texture of a white shirt, the fluidity of the water and the softness of the fabric combine to create an artistic atmosphere that resembles the rhythm of breathing. It “grows naturally”, infusing the minimalist design with the profound essence of Eastern philosophy. The clothing enables the ink and brushstrokes on the desk to break free from the constraints of the scroll, achieving a two-way empowerment of artistic breakthrough.

At the exhibition site, Gigi Hadid’s amazement at the rhythm of calligraphy lines further confirmed the magic of this cross-border phenomenon. Fashion mogul Anna Wintour and Takashi Murakami, among others, along with many other celebrities, showed their fascination with Chinese calligraphy. This made us realize that cross-border integration is not simply a matter of patchwork; instead, it enables international fashion and Chinese calligraphy to break through boundaries, collide and resonate, presenting the integration of cultures in an innovative manner on the international stage.

When different artistic genes breathe and grow in a fusion process, true innovation emerges from such symbiosis.
The tea for today is all gone. Next time, I’ll brew a fresh pot and enjoy art with you again.