The Autobiographical Preface by Huai Su [Chinese calligraphy]

Huai Su (737–799 CE) was a Buddhist monk and one of the most celebrated cursive script (caoshu) calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty. Known for his wild, dynamic, and highly expressive brushwork, he is often paired with Zhang Xu as one of the “Two Sages of Cursive Script.”

His most famous work, the Zi Xu Tie (Autobiographical Preface), written around 777 CE, is a long handscroll in which Huai Su recounts his life, artistic journey, and the praise he received from contemporary poets and officials. The piece is renowned for its unrestrained energy, rhythmic flow, dramatic contrasts in speed and density, and masterful control within apparent chaos – making it a pinnacle of expressive cursive calligraphy.