ART OF MEDICINE Chinese Calligraphy and the Art of Writing

Abstract

The popularity of portraits of clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic suggested the importance of visual representation of what mass illness demands of us all—and particularly those on the front lines of health care. In addition to surges in variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, persons of Asian descent have endured waves of bigotry and violence. With the myriad of natural and man-made threats confronting the world today, an ancient Confucian proverb on the common good prompts us to recognize humanity’s shared future. Although text-based, calligraphy is visually engaging and reminds us of the importance and poignancy of words that are well chosen and beautifully rendered. This article displays and describes Chinese calligraphies by Terry Zhizhong Yuan, commissioned by the AMA Journal of Ethics, to commemorate the American Medical Association’s 175th anniversary and the extraordinary times in which we live.