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“Kanzan” (Hanshan)

Inoue Yūichi Japanese
1966
Not on view
The explosive brushwork of this oversize composition straddles the realms of calligraphy and abstract art. The inscribed characters—“Kanzan” (Chinese: Hanshan)—refer to an eccentric Chinese monk of the Tang dynasty (618–907), a poet-recluse inseparable from his companion, Jittoku (Chinese: Shide). Across East Asia, Kanzan and Jittoku are revered as ideal models for those seeking spiritual fulfillment through the cultivation of poetry.

Growing up in postwar Japan, Inoue Yūichi struggled to find a personal artistic voice grounded in traditional East Asian calligraphic practice and discovered that he was more inspired by the abstract gestural art advocated by rebellious Japanese and Western artists. Famous Zen phrases—like this one—were an important part of his repertoire as he engaged with the Japanese calligraphy tradition and brought it into the modern era.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 井上有一書　「寒山」
  • Title: “Kanzan” (Hanshan)
  • Artist: Inoue Yūichi (Japanese, 1916–1985)
  • Period: Showa period (1926–89)
  • Date: 1966
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Panel; ink on Japanese paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 95 × 48 3/4 in. (241.3 × 123.8 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 8 ft. 3 1/4 in. × 53 in. × 3 1/4 in. (252.1 × 134.6 × 8.3 cm)
  • Classification: Calligraphy
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2014
  • Object Number: 2014.515
  • Rights and Reproduction: © Unagami Masaomi
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

Audio

Cover Image for 2088. "Kanzan" (Cold Mountain)

2088. "Kanzan" (Cold Mountain)

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