深圳是个典型的“英雄不问出处”的城市，有的朋友认识了很久，吃了很多次饭，可并不知道对方的来历，也不知道对方具体的状态如何。例如徐洁。
前不久徐洁又在张罗饭局，说是想请一帮老朋友聚聚，放一些图片给大家看，到这个时候，徐洁才告诉我们，这是她画册的照片，今天九月，她将做一个展览，想听听大家的意见。
我猛然想起，认识徐洁都十多年了。只知道她是个书法家，以教授少儿书法为职业，参与了民盟、书协等无数的公益活动，在几乎所有朋友的展览上都能看到她，也多次收到她举办的女子书法活动的书刊，为什么没想到徐洁还没有举办过个展呢?
以前，只知道徐洁以草书见长，朋友圈里她年龄比我们都小，极其低调。我们的聚会永远在饭桌上，当一帮人高谈阔论的时候，她似乎总是在倾听，总是在学习，总是在服务，极少讲话，几乎不介入争论，时间长了，真是有点将她忽略了。
从她放的图片中，看到了另一个徐洁。在讨论她作品的时候，她一反常态，侃侃而谈，充满了自信和豪气，全然不像我们过去所熟悉的那个安静、贤淑、内秀的浙江女子。我全然不知道徐洁创作的巨大变化是如何发生的?她已经从书法的路上出走，走得很远了。她的这一批作品，有传统的草书，更多的是打破书法边界的实验性的作品，有的如抽象水墨、有的如观念绘画、有的如民间痕迹很重的图案……它们色彩斑斓，不拘一格，从心所欲，汪洋恣肆。
我向她建议，她的有些作品其实类同装置艺术的方案，完全可以考虑把它们立体化、空间化，做成软雕塑;她说，她也正好有此意，在展厅里，会出现立体的作品。“展览作品如何命名呢?”我试探地问;徐洁以十分肯定的口气说，“我为它们起了一个名字叫‘书象’。”
眼下的创作状态让我吃惊，她正处在创作的高峰，早已不再考虑什么“法度”、“规矩”了，这些日子，她心里的想法源源不断，她所能做的，就是每天工作十多个小时，尽量把它们释放出来。
有个展览真好，它告诉我们，徐洁经历了怎样的求索、寂寞的路程;来深圳这么多年，她无怨无悔、从不放弃的结果又是什么。从她的博客里，从其他朋友的文稿中，我在头脑里慢慢出现了关于徐洁的完整拼图，原来，她竟是一个“熟悉的陌生人”。
徐洁家学渊源，祖父、父亲都是浙西书画名家，父亲早年毕业于浙江美院。她幼年除受家庭书画熏陶外，个人竟然是习武出身，做过武术运动员，在她18岁的那年，居然因为书法特长而调入深圳，这是她个人的传奇，又何尝不是这座年轻城市的传奇?
来深圳以后，徐洁和年轻的城市一同成长，应该说，在某种程度上她见证了这座城市文化的发展。大家都说，深圳适合创业，但未必适合艺术家生存，然而，徐洁坚持住了，其中甘苦，只有她自己知道。
我想，在徐洁告诉我们的同时，这座城市是否也应该反思，我们为徐洁们做了什么?怎样才能做得更好?
孙振华 (深圳)·边走边看
                                        Let Xu Jie Tell Us
                         
                                            Sun ZhenhuaShenzhen is a typical city where “the background of a hero should not be asked”, some friends have known each other for a long time and eaten together on many occasions, yet they neither know each other’s background nor each other’s specific conditions, Ms. Xu Jie for example.      Lately Xu Jie was again arranging for a dinner party, saying that she wanted to invite a group of old friends to have a party, and project some photos for all friends to watch. It was only by this time that Xu Jie told us that it was the photos of her painting album, she would hold an exhibition this September, and wanted to hear our suggestions.I suddenly remember that I have known Xu Jie for over 10 years. I only know she is a calligrapher, and takes as her profession teaching calligraphy to children. She has participated in numerous public benefit activities held by the Democratic League and the Calligraphy Association, and can be seen at almost all friends’ exhibitions, I have also received the books and periodicals of the female calligraphy activities held by her many times, why did I forgot that Xu Jie had never held a solo exhibition before?Previously I only knew that Xu Jie is good at calligraphy, she is younger than others of us in the circle of friends, and keeps a very low profile. Our parties are always at the dining table, when all others are talking volubly, she seems to be listening always, learning always, and in service always, hardly speaking, and rarely involving herself in any arguments as well; over time, I really became somewhat neglectful of her.I saw another Xu Jie in the photos projected by her. In discussing her works, she unusually spoke with fervor and assurance, full of self-confidence and valor, totally unlike that calm, virtuous, and intelligent Zhejiang lady familiar to us previously. I did not know at all how the huge change in Xu Jie’s creation took place. She has already gone out from the road of calligraphy, and gone away a very long distance. Her works in this group include the traditional cursive script, and more the experimental works breaking up calligraphic boundaries, some are like an abstract ink-wash painting, some like a concept painting, and some like the patterns with heavy folk marks……they are bright-colored, follow no set form, have their own way, and overflow with boldness and unrestraint.I suggested to her that since some of her works in fact are similar to the plan of installation art, she may well consider making them three-dimensional and spatial, into soft sculptures; she said that she had just the same idea as well, and there will be three-dimensional works occurring in the exhibition hall. “How will exhibition works be entitled?” I tentatively asked; Xu Jie said in a fully affirmative tone, “I give a name to them, called ‘Calligraphic Imagery’.”The creative state at present really surprises me; she is just at the peak of her creation, having no longer considered any “artistic standards” and “rules” or “manner” since long ago; in these days, she has a steady flow of ideas in her mind, what she can do is to work over 10 hours everyday, so as to release them.Such an exhibition is really wonderful, it tells us what a lonely searching journey Xu Jie has experienced; having come to Shenzhen so many years ago, without any complaints and regrets, what results she will have at last? From her blog and other friends’ articles, I have slowly formed a complete picture of Xu Jie, unexpacted she turns to be a “familiar stranger”.Xu Jie is erudite through paternal teaching and influence; both her grandfather and father were painting and calligraphy masters in western Zhejiang, her father graduated from Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts in his early years. She was edified by the family’s painting and calligraphy in her childhood, besides, surprisingly she used to practiced wushu in her early years, and used to be a wushu athlete; she was transferred to Shenzhen at the age of 18 for her calligraphic specialty, this is her personal legend, and how could it not be a legend of this young city as well?After having come to Shenzhen, Xu Jie has grown along with the young city, I should say, to some extent she has witnessed the cultural development of this city. Everyone says that Shenzhen is suitable for entrepreneurship, but may not be suitable for the survival of artists, however Xu Jie has persisted successfully, and only she herself knows the sweetness and bitterness therein.I think, while Xu Jie is telling us something, should this city also have an introspection, what have we done for people like Xu Jie? And how can we do it better?
Sun Zhenhua (Shenzhen)