Guanxiu

TAIWAN

This oval seal featuring a portrait of Guanxiu was engraved by Wang Zhuang-Wei for Yao Wei as denoted on the side colophon inscription. Guanxiu was a well-known monk and artist of the Tang dynasty (618–907). He is depicted here with a round face, long ears, closed eyes, and shoulders turned slightly forward. Guanxiu sits in full lotus position with a broad and strong posture. The surface of the seal appears clean, and the lines flow naturally with a literary delight that encompasses the refined expression of the monk.
Wang was originally from Yixian, Hebei, but he moved to Taiwan in 1949. His original name was Yuan Li and his nickname was Jian Weng. As a child, Wang studied under his father as he engraved seals and painted, later learning under Zhao Zhiqian and establishing a solid foundation in Han style seal engraving techniques. He was particularly intrigued by the simple and natural style of Wu Changshuo, eventually developing his own bold and powerful style.