
Li Shaowu, whose ancestral home was located in Gaoyang of North Chinas Hebei province, was born in a prominent family in Beijing in 1956. Li began to learn calligraphy from Wang Xiangzhi, a renowned calligrapher and founder of the “Xiangli” style calligraphy, and his uncle Li Shuqi, a calligraphic master famous for the “Feibai” style calligraphy. “Feibai” style calligraphy was created by Cai Yong in the Easter Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), and was further advanced from the Three Kingdom period (220-280 AD) to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) due to the participation of twelve emperors and many calligraphic masters, serving as a kind of calligraphic arts solely enjoyed by royal families and aristocrats.
Li is well-known for his “Feibai” style calligraphy, and receives awards at state and international levels, such as “Cultural Ambassador of World Peace”and “Peoples Artist of NPC & CPPCC”. His works have been displayed at international exhibitions in Italy, Japan, etc. As a national first-class calligrapher, Li now serves as member of Chinese Calligraphers Association, member of China Committee of the Promotion of the Minority Art, member of Beijing Lake Painting Academy and Deputy Dean of Beijing Huaxia Art Academy of Paintings and Calligraphy.
李少武,字杬城。祖籍河北高陽。1956年生于北京。明清以來望族之后,其九世祖李國普為明天啟年間丞相,拜禮部尚書、東閣大學士。十世祖李蔚為清順治年間宰輔,拜工部尚書、東閣大學士。十七世族祖李鴻藻為清同治皇帝之老師,軍機首輔大臣,是同治、光緒年間清廷中舉足輕重的人物。
秉承家學,不惑之年,拜獨創“楷書”和“一筆飛白”書法的叔父、著名書法家“飛白大師”李樹琪先生及“祥隸”創始人、著名書法家王祥之先生為師。先從楷書入手,后專攻飛白書法。經過老師的精心培養和指導,歷經十余年的刻苦磨練。如今,他傳承的“一筆飛白”,恰似蛟龍凌空飛舞,又如長蛇戲水,蜿蜒曲折。他在繼承前人書法技藝的基礎上創寫的八平尺獨字飛白榜書,雄渾敦厚,大氣磅礴,既有在粗壯的筆畫中由于枯筆而顯露出的飛白變化,又有個別筆畫在書寫過程中無意形成的奇妙象形圖案。從而使觀賞者產生不同的奇思妙想,既可欣賞書法,又能增添無窮樂趣。
2016年李少武退休后全身心投入到書法寫作當中。他不僅在技藝上刻苦鉆研,還大量查閱飛白書法的來龍去脈及相關理論文章,從而得知飛白書法自1800多年前東漢蔡邕所創后,從三國時期到宋朝的900多年中,先后得到12位皇帝的喜愛并書寫,也有書圣王羲之、王獻之及歐陽詢等諸多書法大家的積極參與,使得飛白成為皇室及貴族階層獨享的一種書法藝術。但正因為它的特殊地位和書寫時難度較大且缺乏使用性,宋以后直至現在書寫飛白書法的人極為稀少,李少武深感身上肩負的責任重大。為弘揚傳統的飛白書法技藝,他常常利用各種機會參加各類大型活動介紹和展示飛白書法,轉贈或贈送給國內外政要及各界精英,以提高飛白書法的影響力。經過多年的努力,他的飛白書法技藝逐步得到人們的認可,2005年被授予“世界和平文化使者”榮譽稱號,2018年3月榮獲全國兩會人民藝術家稱號,7月又在北京舉辦個人書法展。2019年2月應意大利威尼斯大學和帕多瓦大學孔子學院邀請,參加系列春節活動并為師生作《飛白書法》專題講座。3月5日飛白《龍》字作品又在百年湖社日本東京書畫展中展出,將飛白書法傳向海外。
李少武先生秉承家風,謙遜好學,以書會友,以書養德,為傳承中華傳統文化不懈努力。現為中國書法家協會會員、國家一級書法師、中國少數民族美術促進會理事、北京湖社畫會理事、華夏名人藝術書畫院副院長。