“ 服・筆 ” Sewing character
Bifoli 2 X Hungchun Wu 吳弘鈞 Collaboration
Captivation ensues in this interdisciplinary collaboration between Beverly Tu’s fashion design and Hungchun Wu’s calligraphy. Hungchun’s calligraphy frisks in the release and restrain of brush pressure, and frolics around the continuance and stoppage of stroke movement. With its varied stroke width and warped proportion, Hungchun’s innovative design of Chinese characters transcends the borders of language to convey Beverly’s philosophy of joie de vivre:
To step out with an open mind, where the world is at my feet.
To step down with a content heart, where grief dissipates in a hushed farewell.
“願以豁達走紅塵，一片天下任我行。願以滿足別人間，一抹哀怨輕聲別。”
Look 1: Coral oversized long sleeve shirt
In a stride forward from tradition, the whimsical calligraphy of Hungchun Wu narrates Beverly Tu’s personal philosophy in bold blocks emblazoned across the shirtfront (Look 1). His inventive calligraphy imprints a dashing candor onto the reflective heat transfer vinyl, showing off its prismatic property with every burst of flash and the artists’ free spirit. The rigidity brought about by the sharp, oversized silhouette is balanced by a patchwork of fluttering purple bow knots and black roses made from printed organza that surround the shirt’s collar. The elegance exuded by the various shades of lilac veils the fabric’s humble origin from textile waste, capturing an instance of Beverly’s active effort in upcycling.
Look 2 : Chartreuse high-waisted pants
Materiality is further elevated through the development of the jacquard fabric. In Look 2, the intricate Chinese motifs are woven into the jacquard weave, as each character secures the frayed fringes in the weft on the face of the fabric. The fabric employs the method of merging two colors in gradation. The loose threads result in tears resembling the cracks on raw jade, which liberate light rays gleaming from the facets of black rhinestones. Side pleats accentuates the waistline and elongates the figure. The existing contrasts – tight weaves, loose threads, darkness, radiance – proclaim a rebellious embrace of conflict.
Hungchun Wu was born in Taiwan and received his doctoral degree in fine art at National Taiwan University of Arts. He has immersed himself in the study and creation of Chinese ink paintings, calligraphy and seal carving. His ink paintings celebrate the human spirit in deference to nature. He is currently an assistant professor of art at Tainan University of Technology.
Artist | Calligrapher