Duckilngs Playing in Spring Water Painting

Hua, Kuoman (滑阔漫) is a cultural scholar who seamlessly navigates the worlds of ancient literature, philosophy, and modern art. Not only is he deeply versed in classical Chinese literature and philosophy, but he is also a distinguished inheritor and innovator of traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. A graduate of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Beijing Normal University, Hua Kuoman specializes in ancient literature, with a particular focus on pre-Qin literature (i.e., the period before the Qin Dynasty began in 221 BCE, when renowned philosophers such as Confucius and Laozi were active). His academic journey has taken him across continents, teaching in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford University and at Middlebury College. Today, he continues to inspire students as a teacher at the School of Social Sciences at Tsinghua University, blending his scholarly passion with pedagogy. Since childhood, Hua Kuoman has inherited the artistic foundation of the Qi school’s flower-and-bird paintings, the style associated with the famous Chinese painter Qi Baishi (齐白石, 1864–1957). Later, he broadened his expertise to master the expressive realm of Chinese freehand painting (dàxiěyì, 大写意), a style in which artists emphasize the "feeling" or "soul" of the subject, rather than focusing on realistic details. Hua Kuoman's works capture the spirit and essence of landscapes, flowers, and figures, embodying the tranquil detachment of ancient masters while reflecting the philosophical musings of contemporary minds. Beyond painting, Hua Kuoman's calligraphy flows with both strength and elegance, exemplifying a life philosophy of boldness and freedom. His creations resonate with refined aesthetic sensibilities and the timeless grace of traditional Chinese literati.