This research investigates the transformation of textual elements in experimental calligraphy and visual poetry in East Asia from the 1960s to the present, examining their transition from traditional written symbols to contemporary artistic imagery. Drawing on Kohei Sugiura's "Three Stages of Textual Spirit" theory (symbolic, imagistic, and spiritual) from his work "The Spirit of Text," the study explores how artists break conventional textual boundaries to forge new visual languages. Through comparative methodology, this work examines key pieces from Japan's Concrete Poetry movement and Chinese experimental calligraphy, illuminating East Asian textual art's development within a global framework. Two fundamental questions guide the research: first, how experimental calligraphy and visual poetry establish novel artistic expressions by deconstructing and reconfiguring traditional text; second, how these innovative approaches mediate between modernity and indigenous cultural traditions. The research contributes fresh theoretical perspectives to contemporary East Asian textual art discourse while exploring the creative potential of text in cross-cultural artistic endeavors.

Authors:
Li Yunyun, National Taiwan University of Arts, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Yunyun Li, graphic designer and visual researcher, is pursuing a Master's in Contemporary Visual Culture. She explores experimental typography, digital evolution of traditional scripts, and their connection to conceptual art and cultural heritage.

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