“Dancing with Ink : Calligraphy by Li San-pao,” a touring exhibition by the distinguished professor emeritus of California State University, Long Beach, will be presented January 24–25 at the at the Culture Center, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles.
The public is invited to experience the spirit of Chinese characters and the cultural depth revealed through the movement of brush and ink.
East–West Path · Teaching as Light
Dr. Li began his academic career in the United States in 1967, founding the first Chinese language program at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.
He later taught at Harvard University, the University of California, Berkeley, and California State University, Long Beach, dedicating decades to Chinese intellectual history, cultural studies, and calligraphy.
Through years of teaching, Dr. Li came to believe that true cultural transmission is never one-way. Without engaging students in history, thought, and aesthetics, he noted, knowledge alone risks remaining superficial.
Brush as Bridge · Culture Within
Dr. Li views Chinese calligraphy as far more than an art form. It carries emotional force, reflects the rhythm of nature, and distills the essence of culture itself.
For him, calligraphy serves as a vital medium of cultural interpretation—a gateway to the heart of civilization.
He also noted that while Chinese bronzes, jade, ceramics, and paintings are widely displayed in major museums, calligraphy is often overlooked due to language barriers—not for lack of value, but access.
Monumental Scroll · Writing Immersive
The exhibition features several dozen works created over the past two decades, highlighting Dr. Li’s sustained artistic practice after retirement. The centerpiece is a rare, full-text calligraphy scroll of Qu Yuan’s Li Sao, written entirely in cursive script.
Spanning 67 feet, weighing 13 pounds, and containing 2,774 characters, the monumental scroll will be fully displayed, revealing the flowing power of classical Chinese poetry.
Bilingual Reach · Ink Travels
After retiring in 2006, Dr. Li devoted himself fully to calligraphy, spending two years curating nearly 100 works into the bilingual publication Dancing with Ink.
Dr. Li said the goal is to remove language barriers and make calligraphy a shared cultural language. “I hope younger generations and English-speaking readers can enter Chinese culture through the brush,” he said.
The exhibition is presented by the Southern California Chinese American Cultural Heritage Foundation, with co-sponsorship from the Chinese Art Society of America, the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center, and the Feng Yan Society.
An opening reception will be held at 11:00 a.m. on January 24 at COCEC, 9443 Telstar Avenue, El Monte, CA 91731.
The tour will continue April 4–5 at the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center in Irvine, extending its cultural dialogue to new communities.
