Mao Jian, born in 1967 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, is a member of the Craft and Arts Committee of the Jiangsu Artists Association, a member of the Jiangsu Photographers Association, Vice President of the Jiangnan Painting Academy, Executive Director of the Jinling Seal Society, a member of the Nanjing Calligraphers Association, and a member of the Nanjing Artists Association.

He has been passionate about calligraphy from a young age. At 12, he became a disciple of the contemporary “Sage of Cursive Script,” Lin Sanzhi, and at 19, he studied under the master of Chinese painting, Ya Ming. Mao Jian is proficient in all styles of calligraphy, with a particular strength in clerical script (li shu). Under Lin Sanzhi’s guidance, who remarked, “Junior Mao Jian, the Han clerical script is square, elegant, and not difficult to master,” he focused on classics such as the Zhang Qian Stele, Shimen Song, and Zheng Wengong Stele.

Later, his running and cursive scripts (xingcao) were rooted in the traditions of Wang Xizhi and Huai Su, drawing inspiration from the structural elegance of the Jin and Tang dynasties while
incorporating techniques from Mi Fu, Xu Wei, Wang Duo, and other masters. He blends classical and contemporary approaches, transforming them into a personal style. His calligraphy emphasizes the flow of qi through the brush, combining the precision of clerical script, the fluidity of cursive, and the simplicity of regular script, uniting these strengths to create a distinctive and innovative aesthetic.