Never mind the translation: Tong Yang-tze’s art of writing in dialogical perspective

In her calligraphic work, Tong Yang-tze (Dong Yangzi 董陽孜, 1942- ) aims to break away from narrative tradition and to open up new modes of looking. Her collaborations with artists, Jazz musicians, dancers, fashion designers, film, pop music industry and architects, have led to multi-sensual experiences. Her intentionally abstracted writing also provides an opportunity for people unable to read Chinese to translate the writing, to surpass linguistic and cultural barriers. While spontaneity is emphasised, my paper sees her intention of creating calligraphy with cross-threshold media from a dialogical perspective: her work aims to challenge traditional perceptions and practice, in quest of contemporaneity and postvisuality of her art of writing.