Abstract Daruma in a Single Brushstroke
Sold – no longer available
This piece was a handmade one-of-a-kind work. It cannot be reordered and will never exist in this form again. The page stays online as part of our archive.
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Details about the sold piece
- Height 160 cm
- Width 47 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Wood
- Material Honshi Paper
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
With a few broad brushstrokes of diluted ink, this kakemono depicts the strongly abstracted figure of the Zen patriarch Bodhidharma, known in Japanese as Daruma. Only a few contours suggest the head and robe, while the rest of the figure is indicated by generous, almost calligraphic strokes, accompanied by a short inscription and a red artist's seal in the upper left.
This reduced, spontaneous painting technique is characteristic of what is known as Zenga painting, which was cultivated in Buddhist monasteries and aims less at naturalistic accuracy than at the immediate expressive power of the brushstroke. Created in the Shôwa period (1926–1989), the image was painted entirely by hand on paper.
The roller rods are fitted with wooden ends. Daruma is regarded in Japan as a symbol of perseverance and unshakable will, which is why depictions of him are still gladly understood today as encouragement and good luck charms. This unique work combines religious symbolism with the free, energetic aesthetic of Zen painting.
