Fugai Ekun's Daruma

[Iaido dude]

This is a masterpiece by Fugai Ekun (1568-1654). In 1616 he became the Soto Zen abbot of Joganji in Sagami Province (now part of Kanagawa Prefect.), but after only a few years he gave up his position to live in caves of the Kamisoga Mountains, which earned him the nickname 「穴風外」Ana Fūgai ('Cave Fūgai').

 

Poem translation (Okabe Hisashi, "400 Years of Zen Painting"):

 

The sound of roaring, terrifying Heaven and Earth

Pitifully, the hundred beasts all run away in fright

Suddenly, he strikes and breaks the front teeth

 

"The paintings of Fūgai Ekun, simply brushed with ink on paper, convey a depth of spirit that makes them unique even within the sphere of Zen art. His works are imbued with a haunting intensity; the eyes of the figures he depicts penetrate deep into the human spirit, providing a sense of direct communication with the artist. Yet Fūgai has not received the recognition that other Zen artists have been given, in large part because he lived far away from the major cultural centers, had no pupils, and founded no school. Historically, Fūgai was the first and most important Zen monk-painter of the Sōtō sect. Fūgai also anticipated future directions in Zenga by inscribing his own poems on his paintings and by brushing informal self portraits. His final years were spent in nomadic travel; he died almost literally 'on the road'." 

 

Provenance, Zen Art Gallery (Belinda Sweet). Personal collection.

 

[The Art of Zen: paintings and calligraphy by Japanese monks 1600-1925. Stephen Addiss; publisher Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York (1989)]

[Iaido dude]

Here are a few other masterpiece paintings by Fugai with inscription--one identical and another different than the one in my collection.