Exploring the Characteristics of Zen Painting

Since Zen Buddhism was introduced to China from India by Bodhidharma during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it had been through twists and turns with a slow growth. Over centuries of development, it had matured. Under the influence of Zen Buddhism, Chinese painters through the axis of history saw changes in their style of works. As a consequence, there was a profound impact on the future generations. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Chinese Zen ink painting also spread to Japan. What is interesting is that Zen Buddhism’s impact can be found in Japanese culture and art as well as in all aspects of daily life. In modern times, Zen was introduced to the West by the Japanese Zen master D.T. Suzuki, which has a great impact on the entire modern art movement. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics of Zen painting. Through semi-structured interviews with nine experts, including scholars, Zen masters, and artists, the research shows the main characteristics of Zen painting are represented by elegance, simplicity, spirituality, imagery, serenity, and transcendence. The model built in this thesis provides a reference for creators to convey their ideas via the paintings as they are creating as well as for the viewers to understand the artist’s intended meanings, which enables the viewers to not only understand the theme of the works and but also feel the essence of Zen.