First foreign calligrapher joins Vietnamese Spring Calligraphy Festival
Jean Sébastien Grill of France has become the first foreign national to take part in the Spring Calligraphy Festival as a calligrapher, with the event getting underway at the Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi.
Among 50 calligraphers on hand, Jean Sébastien Grill is the only foreign citizen sitting in his corner named “Trường Giang”.
Grill, 41, dons an Áo the, a traditional Vietnamese outfit, and Khăn xếp, a Vietnamese kind of turban, like other local calligraphers.
He recently won second prize at a Vietnamese national contest of writing calligraphy.
Grill has been studying Vietnamese for seven years, and he is now living and working in the country.
Grill’s calligraphy piece is also picked for display at an exhibition during the festival, together with 39 other pieces.
Grill is a graphic designer who had been living and working in France. He first began to study Vietnamese calligraphy in 2015.
He says he would like to popularise Vietnamese culture among European tourists.
Through his calligraphic pieces of work, he hopes to introduce a peaceful and developing nation imbued with a rich cultural identity to other foreigners.
The French scholar wears an Áo the and Khăn xếp whilst writing Vietnamese calligraphy to attract many visitors.
The handwriting of the Western man wins over hearts of local people due to its sincerity. Source: VOV/ANTD