Kim Saeng

KOREA; Silla dynasty

Kim Saeng was also known as Gu or Jiseo. He was a calligrapher during the Silla Kingdom (57 BCE–935 CE). From a young age, he learned Mandarin and started practicing calligraphy, which he practiced unceasingly until he was 80 years old. His works in running, cursive, and clerical scripts were considered impressive, and therefore, he is regarded as the best calligrapher in Korea. It is said that his running and cursive scripts could be compared to those of Wang Xizhi, the sage of calligraphy in China. In Korea, Kim was called Donghaeseoseong which means the Sage of Korean Calligraphy.
Although there are no extant works by Kim, the Stele of Master Nanggong at Taejasa Temple, among other steles, was compiled from Kim Saeng’s calligraphy. In these stone works, traits of Wang Xizhi’s can be observed in the changes of strokes, varied and balanced characters, and flowing and natural writing skills. These steles preserve the oldest examples of Chinese calligraphy in Korea.