My studio name was inscribed by General Dang Yimin, and over the years, many friends have asked me how the name came about. In truth, the story behind it is quite simple.
The name “Jiuteng” was one I chose myself. Before I began using it formally, it had already accompanied me, on and off, for six or seven years. It was only later, when I founded my first school for Chinese calligraphy and painting, that it truly became known as Jiuteng Art Studio. That period also happened to be one of the smoothest and most fulfilling chapters in an otherwise eventful life.
At the time, I had long hoped to find someone whose calligraphy would be worthy of the name I had used for so many years. One day, a friend from the Writers’ Association casually suggested, “Why not ask a general to write it for you?” That seemingly offhand remark eventually led me to General Dang Yimin.
Through a mutual friend, I spoke with General Dang by telephone. To my surprise, he agreed without hesitation and soon personally wrote the four Chinese characters for “Jiuteng Art Studio.”
I was then preparing to develop Jiuteng Art Studio into a chain of schools, so the inscription arrived at exactly the right moment. In the years that followed, the studio gradually expanded, eventually opening four branch schools.
After receiving General Dang’s calligraphy, I noticed that the seals used with his inscription did not produce quite the effect I had hoped for. I therefore commissioned several new seals and presented them to him as a gift. He was delighted to receive them. What had begun with a simple request for an inscription gradually grew into a friendship marked by mutual appreciation and respect.
In the years that followed, we each became occupied with our own pursuits. We did not stay in frequent contact, nor did our professional paths often cross. Yet for me, living in Yiwu at the time, having General Dang Yimin personally inscribe the name of my studio—and being able to hang that plaque in the training center—was both a rare encouragement and a deeply meaningful gesture of support.
Unfortunately, as times changed, traditional calligraphy and painting schools became increasingly difficult to sustain. Jiuteng Art Studio eventually closed its doors, but the name “Jiuteng” remained.
Looking back today, I realize that the creation of **Senxiangism** was never a sudden impulse or a passing idea. In many ways, it emerged naturally from the changes of its time—a creative language gradually shaped and brought into being by the era itself.