Kakemono Bodhidharma with Calligraphy of Emptiness

With just a few energetic brushstrokes, this kakemono forms the portrait of Bodhidharma, the legendary Indian monk to whom tradition attributes the transmission of Zen Buddhism to East Asia. The round head, with its striking eyebrows and dense beard, appears lively and introspective despite the sparse lines, fully in the style of spontaneous Zenga painting.

Above it, in expansive calligraphy, stands a single character whose meaning is translated as "emptiness, nothingness." This central concept of Zen Buddhism, which describes the overcoming of all fixed notions and the letting go of the self, corresponds directly with the quiet, self-contained figure of Bodhidharma below, turning the sheet into a small meditation exercise for the eye.

The painting was made by hand on paper during the Shôwa period. The hanging scroll has jikusaki made of plastic and can be hung without difficulty – an evocative object for lovers of Zen art and Japanese calligraphy.