I’m especially excited for today’s newsletter because it features seal carving and special guest, Karen Tseng, a talented artist specializing in seal carving, brush painting, calligraphy, and art history.
Seal carving is a traditional art form that originated in China, and it refers to engraving a design into one flat side of a specific material (it used to be bronze, jade, and wood, to name a few; now it’s usually stone). You’ll learn more about the history of seal carving in Karen’s interview below, as well as what the future of seal carving might look like. So in the past, present, future section, I’ll share how I plan on using seal carving in Lunar Love to make the title page extra special.
When I was younger, my parents had a Chinese seal made for me that contained my name in its small square. It was carefully stored away, not for recreational use (that’s what stickers and markers were for). My childhood seal is more traditional looking, with my name as the focus.
Flash forward to now, and I thought it would be special to have my own unique seal made that I can use to stamp Lunar Love’s title page with, in addition to signing with a pen! I wanted the seal to feel true to me and more image-focused, containing a horse (for Year of the Horse) and a moon (often a theme in my writing 🌙 ). All while containing my Chinese name, of course.
When I learned about Karen and her work, I was excited because of the personality that her seals exude. They’re whimsical and full of character, while maintaining their roots in a rich history of traditional art. After a few iterations, Karen came up with the perfect take on the elements I wanted to include in the ~2.4 x 2.4 centimeter space. I absolutely love the imagery and can’t wait to stamp Lunar Love with it!
This is how the final seal turned out 😍 :
As you’ll read below in Karen’s interview, seals are becoming more appreciated for their artistic merits. People are collecting seals because of the beauty and value of the stone, but also because of the artistic content carved on these stones. Who knows? Maybe each of my books will have their own stamps, or over the years I’ll have more made to represent the different phases I grow into. There are so many possibilities! And because seals are so unique and custom to each person, they’re such highly individual and special pieces of art.
And now I’m excited to introduce you to Karen Tseng. She’s had many years of experience in art history, brush calligraphy, and of course, seal carving. She created my custom seal that I’ll be stamping Lunar Love with. I asked her about her interest in Asian art, what her seal carving process looks like, and what inspires her!
LKJ: You developed a deep interest in Asian art while earning a degree in Art History at Mills College and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. What do you find interesting about Asian art? Who are your favorite artists?
KT: Asian Art is fascinating! When we talk about Asian Art, we are talking about art from India all the way to Japan, with many countries in-between. It is a wide area, but you can trace influences from one country to another. My upbringing in Hong Kong exposed me to a lot of Western cultures, and originally I was painting in Western media, learning Western art history.
When I came to the United States for college, I felt a need to find my roots. I was lucky to be at Mills College when they had a strong Asian Art History course offering. I became fascinated with Chinese artists such as the 13th century father-and-son duo, Mi Fu and Mi Youren, who pioneered using dots to delineate light and shade in their landscape paintings. I believe they are the earliest Impressionists! I so love the works by painter/calligrapher and possibly seal carver Bada Shanren (1626-1705). In modern art, some of my favorite artists are Wu Guanzhong (painter), Ding Yanyong (painter/calligrapher/seal carver), Fang Zhaoling (painter/calligrapher) and Irene Chou (painter).
When and how did you start seal carving? What inspired you to learn seal carving?
I have been fascinated by Chinese seals as far back as I can remember. It started when I saw my parents using their seals on documents. There seemed to be an aura surrounding the act of stamping your personal seal, as though it contains the essence of your identity. My mother gifted me with my first name seal at the age of 10, and I still have that seal with me.
When I did my undergraduate study in art history, I took many courses in Asian art. I had a chance to learn more about seals, however seal carving was still a bit of a mystery to me. The ancient script used in seal carving was difficult to read, and the skills required to carve a seal seemed insurmountable. But in 2013, I started cataloguing the artworks of my calligraphy teacher, Lui Tai. Madam Lui was elderly and needed help to stamp her seal on her works, so I assisted. She would carefully select her seals – sizes, content, carving styles – and she would instruct me on how to ink a seal, where to stamp it and how to clean it. Her choice of seals, leisure seals (with poetic phrases) and name seals, would complement her artworks. My interest in seals grew from that experience.
Around 2016, I was introduced to Mr. Ray Chang, who started a seal carving class in the California Bay Area. Occasionally, when I couldn’t decipher a seal I would send him an email. Perhaps due to my many questions, he invited me to join his class in mid-2017. From Mr. Chang’s classes, I learned the history of seal carving and I also learned how to carve seals! I still remember the first time I sank a steel knife into stone. It was unbelievably hard, and my knife slipped, but I slowly learned how to use my strength. Seal carving is very addictive, particularly to someone who has obsessive-compulsive tendencies!
What does your seal-carving process look like?
The first step is to select a stone. Then, I sand the stone so that I’ll have a smooth surface to carve on. Guided by the size of the stone, I’ll create many drafts. Since one must fit the characters or images into a small surface, one needs to plan the placement of each word and image carefully, understanding that the negative space is just as important as the positive space. When I am satisfied with my draft, I transfer it onto the stone face, and then I can start carving. While I carve, I allow accidents and last-minute decisions to happen; sometimes those are the best! Once I am done carving, I stamp out a sample. I might make small adjustments and stamp again a few more times. If I am not satisfied with how it turns out, I might sand it down and start all over again.
Seal carving is a traditional Chinese art form, and the history of it is very interesting. How do you see seals being used today, and how do you envision seal carving evolving in the future?
Seal carving has a long history, stretching all the way back to the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). In the old days, seals were made from bronze, so only skilled craftsmen could do it. From the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) onwards, softer stones were discovered and used by scholars (the literati), who founded numerous stylistic and artistic seal-carving lineages. Today, seals are still being used on documents in certain Asian countries, such as banking paperwork, and on artworks to a wider extent. But more and more, I see seals as being appreciated for their own artistic merits. Many people collect seals because of the beauty and value of the stone as well as the artistic content carved on it. I think this will be the future trend of seal carving.
You also do brush painting and calligraphy. What inspires your art?
I think there are a few things that influence my art: my East-West identity, my interest in Buddhist and Daoist philosophy, nature, and any current events that strike me. I don’t want to limit myself to any one thing. My best work comes about when I feel something move me deep inside; these are moments of truth, and I try to express it on paper or in stone.
I once read an article about art and empathy, and wrote down this quote: “Art is a transcendent language that speaks of shared human experience and that cultivates empathy, even – or especially – in troubled times.” I can’t find the author of that quote just now, but it really speaks to me.
Thank you so much, Karen! Check out Karen’s work on her website and Instagram.
I’ve completed my pass pages for Lunar Love! I share more about my pass page process and what this stage means. Pass pages means galleys are coming soon, so stay tuned for that!
In the meantime, Lunar Love is available for pre-order and will be out on January 10, 2023 (with spruced-up, pass-page approved text 😉 ).
From me to you, in the present,
Lauren
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