The Luby Chinese News article featuring Nicole Chenut Exhibition (From left to right)

• Louise Harel (Ministre des affaires municipales, Assemblée nationale du Québec)
• Nicole Chenut
• Fatima Houda-Pepin (Membre de l'Assemblée nationale du Québec)

It was indeed rather unexpected that, Nicole Chenut, one of my first student, worked hard enough to be able to hold an exhibition of her Chinese calligraphy work. Born in France, Nicole started learning Chinese calligraphy under my direction in 1990. After three months she was deeply immersed into the calligraphy realm and she indefatigably devoted herself to studying and copying calligraphy rubbings and manuscripts from various Chinese masters throughout different eras.

Nicole became skillful in all the five calligraphic styles: seal, clerical, cursive, regular and running scripts. She then could infuse her personal artistic flavor into her work. Consequently her Chinese calligraphy work exhibits a sensation fo harnony and unity. It was said that calligraphy is a mirror which reflects the calligrapher, her learning and her personality as well as the idea-image embedded in the artwork. As such, Nicole's work unveils fortitude, gentleness and sensibility.

In spite of having almost no knowledge of the Chinese characters, Nicole achievements convinced me, her teacher, that learning the art of Chinese calligraphy is possible and can be a medium the unveil the inner world of a calligrapher; knowing the Chinese characters is not necessary.

Throughout the years, Nicole devoted her studies to many calligraphic rubbings and manuscripts: the Stone Drums text, the Yin Foo Canon in seal script by Tang Shek-Yue, Stone gate Epitaph, various kinds of running scripts by Mei Fei, the Ritual vesseL tablet, the regular script by Ngan Chun-Hing and the Self-introduction by Wei So. Among these, it was on Mei Fei’s running script that she spent the greatest effort: no wonder that her classmates jokingly nicknamed her "the Mei Fei of Montreal". In the 2^nd Edition of the Month of Chinese Calligraphy, 2000, the article that she authored relating her journey in copying Mei Fei demonstrated her insight in the work of that great master.

Nicole and myself shared a long voyage in the realm of Chinese Calligraphy and have established a subtle relationship, not only as a teacher and a student, but also as friends. As a student, she dedicated herself to the art; as a friend, she involved herself deeply in the activities of the Traditional Chinese Culture Traditional Chinese Culture Society. She spared no effor in making the 1^st edition of the Month of Chinese Calligraphy a great success. Her invaluable contribution to the publication of my book “Chinese Calligraphy, Abstract Art, Mind Painting” never ceased to be appreciated.

As an artist who devoted her life to arts, I would like to conclude by commending Nicole’s efforts in promoting one of the world’s great cultural heritage, namely the Chinese Calligraphy. As a teacher, I earnestly hope that Nicole, as an talented artist, persevere in her quest to reach the highest level of excellence in the Chinese Calligraphy realm.

As an artist who devoted her life to arts, I would like to conclude by commending Nicole’s efforts in promoting one of the world’s great cultural heritage, namely the Chinese Calligraphy. As a teacher, I earnestly hope that Nicole, as an talented artist, persevere in her quest to reach the highest level of excellence in the Chinese Calligraphy realm.