The seminar was led by master, translator Truong Quoc Toan, calligraphy expert - the admin of Fanpage Group Graffiti Vietnam Nguyen Thanh Tung, who has made great efforts to bring graffiti art to Vietnam, along with multimedia artist and art curator Nguyen Quoc Hoang Anh.

Demonstration of calligraphy at the seminar "Calligraphy and Graffiti: From Difference to Empathy".

Calligraphy is an ancient art form of the East. In the past, it was mainly practiced among intellectuals and literary enthusiasts. Meanwhile, graffiti represents a young cultural movement imported from the West, associated with hip-hop culture. 

The two art forms have many differences. However, there are certain points they share in common. “Graffiti” is a word derived from the Greek word “graphein” which means to write. Later, it became the Latin word “graffito”, meaning “painting on the wall”, the collective name for the stylish images or writing on the walls of streets and neighbourhoods using paint, spray paint or marking with any material on large, flat surfaces.

Experts have exchanged different perspectives on these two seemingly opposing art forms. However, Calligraphy and Graffiti are two art forms that have many similarities, such as creating pictures and expressions that require very high level of imagination, while both carry within the mission to convey certain messages. Experts also clarified graffiti art against the misunderstanding that it is the type of "graffiti" on the walls of teenagers and young people as many people still think.

From difference to "empathy", the seminar is the beginning of a project of writing and displaying calligraphy combined with graffiti which will be organised by the Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam Culture and Science Centre in the near future. This is expected to be a breakthrough project featuring the combination of two art forms for the first time. One side is the traditional art of the East, the other side is the youthful, somewhat "rebellious" side from the West.

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Source: NDO