In the Pen Walking series, Shi Jin-Hua repeatedly draws lines across paper with one or more pencils until they are entirely exhausted, and then completes the work by adhering the pencil shavings onto the surface. This methodology originated in 1994 while he was studying in the United States: while journaling, he noticed a pen that had accompanied him for years was nearing its end. He took a sheet of paper and drew irregular lines until the pen’s "life" was spent. This piece marked the inception of the Pen Walking series and established his lifelong practice—the total consumption of a writing instrument upon a single plane as a metaphor for a span of existence.

Regarding the metaphors within this practice, Shi Jin-Hua once wrote:

"Each pen represents a cycle of reincarnation. The traces of the strokes are like the deeds of a lifetime, while the worn-down, disintegrated pencil is the destiny of the physical body... It silently surveys the works of a lifetime, leading one to sigh: 'No matter what, it is but thus.'”

For Shi, Pen Walking is more than a creative method; it is a long-term practice integrating physical action, the passage of time, and spiritual cultivation. During the low ebbs of his life, this practice provided him with a sense of catharsis, stability, and the strength to persevere.

(Text adapted from the 2013 monograph. Read full statement here)

在《走筆》系列中，石晉華以一枝或多枝鉛筆在紙上反覆走線，直至耗盡，並將鉛筆屑黏貼於紙面上完成作品。此創作方式始於 1994 年他留學美國期間的一段日常：在寫日記時，他察覺一支陪伴多年的筆即將用罄，遂取出一張白紙，不規則地走畫線條，直到筆的生命終止。這件作品成為《走筆》系列的起點，也確立了他往後的實踐方法——將一枝筆完整耗損於同一個平面之上，使其成為生命歷程的隱喻。
關於此系列的隱喻，石晉華曾寫道：「一枝枝的筆，代表一生生的輪迴。筆觸的痕跡猶如一生的作為，而磨滅卸解的鉛筆則是肉體的宿命……沈默地全覽一生的作業，使人喟嘆：『不論再怎麼樣，也不過如此』。」對他而言，「走筆」不僅是創作方法，也是結合身體行動、時間消耗與精神修行的長期實踐，曾在他生命的低潮時期，帶來抒發、安定與持續前行的力量。

（文字編整自2013年作品集。閱讀全文）

◆〈走筆#1〉1994.10.14｜筆、紙、詩、文件｜27.94 × 21.59 cm；筆：14.1 × 1 × 1.4 cm；〈生命中最後的一張畫〉（中文手抄詩）：42 × 30 cm；〈生命中最後的一張畫〉（英文詩）：27.94 × 21.59 cm；文件：42 × 29.7 cm