This Chinese calligraphy was done by my dad, Kuang-Ti Fann or "Kuni" as he is known, using a large brush made from the tail of a horse. With his permission I have created this design using his original calligraphy. My dad is an authority on Taoism and has been published for his english translation of the "Tao Te Ching", written by the sage Lao Tzu.

In this calligraphy the first character translates into "nothing" while the second character represents "action", together espousing the Taoist philosophy of "non action". This has a deeper layer of meaning when analyzed, because the character of "action" is actually a picture of a man leading an elephant, which is a forced or "unnatural" action. So this warns specifically against any action which works in opposition with nature. It also teaches that deciding to do nothing is a choice or action in itself and can be the wisest decision at times.

A little about Taoism:

Taoism is a philosophy that emphasize living in harmony with the Tao (道), the mysterious source and essence of everything that exists. The Chinese word Tao roughly translates as "way" or "path" (hence the name of this design), although this usage takes its meaning from "reality" or "nature", which the word Tao can also mean. The proper path in life, says Taoism, is one that works in harmony with the natural universe.

The keystone work of literature in Taoist philosophy is the Tao Te Ching, a concise book containing teachings attributed to Lao Tzu, or "the Old Teacher", in ancient China.

Great, thanks for this interesting explain!

That was a nice read with my cup of tea! Thanks for sharing and nice design!

道常無為而無不為 ;)

Excellent Terry ~ a perfect way to end the week [and start a new one]

Your "fei bai" is perfect, by the way : )

Beautiful art, a fascinating and instructive introduction to Taoism, and a meaningful glimpse into your family history that clearly informs your work.

Thanks everyone!

I was worried the intro was way too long, glad some people find it interesting. :)

thumbs up again! terry! strong beautiful written!

Cheers Paul! :)

thank you for the very interesting description of your work!

Good design and very interesting.

Worried that it was too long? The picture's worth a thousand words... at least! Great Design!

Wow, he has such beautiful brush-strokes, and the design looks fantastic!

Beautiful. Great collaboration with your father!

So beautiful & unique! Wonderful collaboration.

love it

Interesting meanings behind this great piece. Congrats to you and your father!

Nice work with your father! I'd like to see more collaborations!

Thanks so much everyone from both me and my dad!

He just sent me his own definition on the meaning of the characters which I've added to the description:

‎"Wu Wei" is the essence of Taoist philosophy. A better translation is "Nothing Doing". "Wei" in ancient China also meant "artificial"; thus in it's negative sense, it means "Nothing Artificial" and in it's positive sense it means "Doing what comes natural".

Outstanding, I love it!

Sweet work, and great meaning behind it.

Currently reading a book on Buddhism - Taoism is also one I've wanted to learn about too!