🔲 When English Looks Chinese: Xu Bing’s Square Word Calligraphy

What if English looked like Chinese—but still read like English? That’s the genius of Xu Bing’s Square Word Calligraphy. Invented in the 1990s, this art form reshapes English words into square forms that resemble Chinese characters. You think you're reading Mandarin—but look again: it says “art,” “freedom,” “imagine.” A visual puzzle, a linguistic prank, a bridge between worlds. Why was this made? To challenge how we read, perceive, and assign meaning. Xu Bing wanted to explore cultural misunderstandings—how language can hide in plain sight. What does it mean? It means language isn’t neutral. It’s power, perception, identity. Xu Bing turns the alphabet into art, and art into a conversation about cultural decoding. Why does it still move us? Because it’s playful and profound. It confuses—then delights. And it reminds us that meaning isn’t just what we say… It’s how we shape it.