Hilde Mertens
Contemporary Chinese Calligraphy
I walked into thousands of years of Chinese calligraphy,
by chance., it's a wonderful world with sounds of its own and no boundaries
My fascination with the works of Western artists like Brice Marden, Franz Kline and Cy Twombly sparked one question: Is a single line still art?
That question led me into the wonderful world of Chinese calligraphy, where one line is not only form but energy and emptiness. A world where for thousands of years "beautiful writing" stands at the top of all forms of artistic expression. A space where Buddhist and Daoist philosophies, merges with ink, poetry and mind.

"po" to disrupt, broken, torn​
Breaking rules, never jeopardizing technique., exposing what lies beneath.
And from here, where do we go next? Can we break apart the past to reveal new stories and the future essence of meaning and culture?​​​
Set your mind free, remain steady and precise, explore, break the rules, and allow the brush to move. Listen to the universe’s ceaseless urge to transform the old into the new. Merge boldness with elegance. Reject formality. Yet always with discipline, unrelenting practice and study. Look back in time but keep moving forward.​
Originally from Belgium, I now call Hong Kong and Asia my home, a place where East and West meet in rhythm and contrast.
With a Master’s in Chinese and Economics, and five languages, including Mandarin Chinese, my professional journey has taken me from Investment and Private Banking to Management Consulting. An alumna of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and a Board Member of Lingnan University, I have worked across Beijing, Singapore, London, and Hong Kong, all while nurturing a passion for art.



press
​S Magazine, January 2024
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The HK Club News, April 2023
The HK Club News, April 2024
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The Belgium-Luxembourg CC HK magazine
The Standard, May 2025

