ABOUT SQUARE WORD CALLIGRAPHY
Square Word Calligraphy is a new writing system designed by Xu Bing that visually resembles Chinese characters but is composed entirely of the English alphabet. Unlike the pseudo-characters of his earlier work Book from the Sky, these are real, readable words and true characters rather than invented ones. This system merges the visual structure of Chinese calligraphy with the phonetic script of English, creating a hybrid textual form.
As viewers attempt to decipher the writing, they often experience a moment of doubt, confusion, or hesitation, followed by a sudden shift in perception, a flash of understanding that releases the tension. In this way, the West encounters an Eastern form of calligraphic culture through an unexpected linguistic bridge.
In 2015, Xu Bing collaborated with FounderType to release the Founder Xu Bing Square Word Font, a conceptual art typeface. This marked a further extension of his artistic vision into everyday life, embedding his ideas more deeply within popular culture.
When you are old, 2007 Ink on xuan paper
69 x 140 cm | 27.17 x 55.12 in
When you are old and grey and full of sleep, 当你年老发白沉沉欲睡
And nodding by the fire, take down this book, 在炉火边打盹,取下这本书
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look 慢慢阅读,梦幻那温柔的表情
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep; 你的双眼曾经表露,和它们深深地影子
How many loved your moments of glad grace, 多少人热爱你欢快时候的优雅,
And loved your beauty with love false or true, 并爱慕过你的美貌,他们的爱有真情也有假意
But one man loved the pilgrim Soul in you, 但只要一个男人爱过你内心朝圣者的灵魂, And loved the sorrows of your changing face; 并爱你表情变换的脸上的忧伤 ; And bending down beside the glowing bars, 你这时曲背垂首在火红的壁炉格栏边, Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled 低吟,有点悲伤,爱已逃离, And paced upon the mountains overhead 高高漫步在群山之上
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars. 把它的脸藏到群星之中。
——William Butler Yeats
你乐于浪费的时间，并⾮虚度
The Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time, 2025 Ink on xuan paper
24.4 x 138 cm | 9.6 x 54.3 in
"The Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time"
我思故我在
I Think, Therefore I Am, 2025
Ink on xuan paper
37.4 x 137 cm | 14.7 x 53.9 in
"Cogito Ergo Sum" - René Descartes
抄赵孟頫语录
Copying Zhao Mengfu’s Quotes, 2025
Ink on xuan paper
70 x 137.4 cm | 27.4 x 54 in
"Calligraphy is a picture of mind. So, when a succeeding hundred generations saw the upright tip of his brush technique and the vigour and power of his wrist, [they could see] it was the equal of his quality as a person."
Transcribed Quotes by Zhao Mengfu.
Calligraphy by Xu Bing
朗费罗名⾔
A Quote by Longfellow, 2025
Ink on xuan paper
97 x 108 cm | 38.2 x 42.5 in
'If you would hit the mark, you must aim a little above it; Every arrow that flies feels the attraction of earth.' - Longfellow
Farewell to a Friend, 2025
Ink on xuan paper
68.5 x 152.7 cm | 27 x 60.1 in
BIOGRAPHY
XU BING 徐冰
b.1955 in Chongqing, China; Lives and works between Beijing and New York
Xu Bing is an artist and professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing (CAFA), where he graduated in 1981 and has since remained as a teacher. Widely recognized as a leading conceptual artist in the fields of linguistics and semiotics today, he continuously expands the boundaries of art with his groundbreaking creative works.
Xu Bing has been the recipient of several esteemed awards throughout his illustrious career. In 1999, he was granted the MacArthur Fellowship for his exceptional originality, creativity, personal direction, and significant contributions to society, particularly in the domains of printmaking and calligraphy. In 2003, he was honored with the 14th Fukuoka Asian Cultural Award in Japan for his noteworthy contribution to the advancement of Asian culture. In his acceptance speech, Okwui Enwezor lauded Xu Bing as an artist who transcends cultural boundaries, bridging the divide between East and West and expressing his thoughts and realities in a visual language.
Additionally, he won the first Artes Mundi Prize in Wales in 2004, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Graphics Council in 2006. In 2010, Columbia University awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, while in 2015, he received the Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large from Cornell University and the Medal of Arts from the U.S. Department of State.
Xu Bing’s work has been displayed in numerous prestigious venues around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Sackler National Gallery in Washington, D.C. His work has also been exhibited at the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Museo Reina Sofia, as well as the Joan Miró Foundation. Additionally, he has participated in several international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, Sydney Biennale, São Paulo Biennale, and Johannesburg Biennale.
His works are included in major art history textbooks such as Art Past, Art Present (Boston: Abrahams Inc, 1997) and Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History (Wadsworth: Cengage Learning, 2013).