Exhibition Overview

Ma Guoquan (1931–2002) was a renowned paleographer, calligrapher, and seal carver. He achieved great success in philology, art history, and textual research, with numerous important publications and compilations that have had a profound influence. His calligraphy and seal carving are highly accomplished, celebrated for their simplicity, richness, and serene elegance.

To introduce this scholar-artist to the public, the Macao Museum of Art specially presents the "Old Knowledge, New Insights: Ma Guoquan Calligraphy and Seal Carving Exhibition," co-organized by the Macao Calligraphy and Seal Carving Association. The exhibition showcases his calligraphy and seal carving works, along with letters exchanged with friends and seals carved for him, featuring over 400 items. It systematically and comprehensively reflects his scholarly demeanor and artistic vision.

About Ma Guoquan

• Name: Ma Guoquan, courtesy name Datang.
• Birth & Death: Born in 1931 in Guangzhou, Guangdong; passed away in 2002. His ancestral home is Nanhai, Guangdong.
• Early Training: He developed a love for calligraphy and seals from a young age through family instruction. In middle school, he studied under Feng Kanghou and Qin Esheng, later becoming a disciple of Rong Geng.
• Education: Graduated as an Associate Doctorate postgraduate in Paleography from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou.
• Career: Held positions at Sun Yat-sen University and Jinan University. In 1979, he moved to Hong Kong to work as a writer for Ta Kung Pao, concurrently serving as a researcher at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Centre for Chinese Archaeology and Art and teaching calligraphy and seal carving in the Art Department.
• Positions Held: Council Member of the Chinese Society of Paleography; Member of the Academic Committee of the Chinese Calligraphers Association; Visiting Professor at Jinan University and the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts; Council Member of the Xiling Seal Art Society.
• International Engagement: Frequently invited to give lectures and hold exhibitions in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and mainland China.

Artistic Style & Legacy

His calligraphic art encompasses various script forms, including oracle bone script, bronze inscriptions, stone drum script, Chu bamboo slip tadpole script, Qin small seal script, Han clerical script variations, running script, and cursive script. Rooted in unearthed artifacts, stone steles, and model calligraphy, his works exude a serene and elegant literati spirit.

His research in calligraphy and seal studies, along with his ancient, elegant, and robust calligraphy and seal carving rooted in the Qin and Han dynasties, is widely admired.

Key Publications & Edited Works

• Authored Works: Biographies of Guangdong Seal Carvers, Biographies of Modern Seal Carvers, Explanation of the Cursive Script Methods in Zhi Yong's 'Thousand Character Classic' in Cursive Script, Explanation of the Clerical Script Methods in the 'Thousand Character Classic' in Clerical Script, Compilation of Bronze Inscriptions (co-authored), Seal Impressions of Guangdong County and City Names (co-authored with his son), Quatrains on the Origin and Development of Calligraphy, Ma Guoquan Seal Carving Collection.
• Edited or Co-edited Works: Contemporary Seal Carving Selections, First Volume, Wu Changshuo Seal Collection, Translation and Annotation of 'Shu Pu', Annotation of the Yuan Dynasty Carved 'Song of One Hundred Rhymes on Grass Script Rules', Shen Yinmo's Manuscripts on Calligraphy Theory, The Great Dictionary of Chinese Calligraphy, Expanded Song for Distinguishing Variant Forms of Han Clerical Script, and Revised and Supplemented Translation and Annotation of the 'Song of Radicals in the 'Jijiuzhang''.
• Some of his theoretical works have been translated into multiple languages.

Exhibition Details

• Organizer: Macao Museum of Art
• Co-organizer: Macao Calligraphy and Seal Carving Association
• Period: April 25 – June 16, 2013
• Venue: Macao Museum of Art
• Featured Works: Calligraphy, seal carvings, personal letters, and seals carved for the artist.
• Scale: Over 400 items on display.