Calligraphic Book
- Artist: Li Yuan-chia
- Date: 1963
- Medium: Paint on fabric on paper
- Dimensions: 105 x 460 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the “Calligraphic Book” by Li Yuan‑chia, created in 1963. Painted on fabric and paper, it’s a thin, long strip—just over ten centimeters wide and nearly half a meter long—so you can almost feel its texture as you follow the marks across.
Li Yuan‑chia called the tiny strokes in this piece “Cosmic Points.” These dots, simple calligraphic marks or even small punctures, represent the beginning and the end of everything. They invite you to think about infinite space, relativity, and the delicate balance between stability and fluidity. The artist’s own words capture the experience: “If you can really understand it, you will feel indeed the great life of the universe and the value of your existence.”
As you look, notice how the points seem to pulse and shift, almost breathing in the quiet space of the room. It’s a subtle reminder that even the smallest marks can carry vast meaning.
See it in person
Calligraphic Book is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
