Aaron Gan – Calligraphy

笔是心，心是笔。
心有法，笔无为。

“Art benefits from childlike dispositions. I once asked my daughter why she chose yellow for a unicorn she was painting. She replied, “It’s only a painting, Daddy.” Which is similar to saying, “There is no need for a reason, Daddy.”

And indeed, no reason was needed because she followed her heart at that moment. Such is the essence of great art. Such is the honesty that makes great artists. She taught me that I still have much to learn.

Calligraphy was originally a private undertaking, envisioned as an artistic reprieve for meditating on ideas and teachings from the books I was reading.

The paintings are raw, personal. I might say they reveal something of myself as I am. I might also say they reveal something of myself as I want to be.

The words of each painting are often illegible, a reminder that the real meaning of a teaching is not in the words but in the experience – like how a finger points beyond itself to the moon.”

By Aaron Gan