Sumi-e & Zen Paintings

Wang Wei ( 王維 , 701–761) is widely regarded as the "founder" or "father" of Chinese ink and water landscape painting (shuimo 水墨畫) and the progenitor of the Southern School of literati painting. He is credited with pioneering techniques that transformed painting from colorful, detailed art into a subtler, monochromatic form centered on poetry and emotion. Shuimo or Sumi-e is only a subset of all the Chinese painting approaches and styles.

 Water-and-ink painting originated in ancient China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) when Buddhist monks also practiced ink painting as a form of meditation and reflection. Introduced to Japan by Zen Buddhist monks in the 14th century, Sumi-e is a Japanese word formed by the terms "sumi" (ink) and "e" (painting). Sumi-e (墨絵) is a term for "black ink painting," a monochrome style originating in China, that uses water, black ink, and brushes to paint. Sesshū Tōyō, initially inspired by Chinese landscapes, is a Japanese Zen monk and painter who is considered a great master of Japanese ink painting.