“Sumi e”  The Art of Japanese Brush Painting

“Sumi” is a Japanese term meaning “black ink.” “e” means “painting.”  The “way” of painting was first introduced into Japan by Zen monks and it was further cultivated as a Zen or meditative practice.  Sumi-e painting consists  simply of a brush, a sheet of white paper and black ink.  In sumi-e painting, the expression or object of the painting is expressed by painting it in its pure essence or form, capturing its reality in simplest terms.  It is a meditative art of simplicity.

“True creativity is not the product of consciousness, but rather the phenomenon of life itself. True creation must arise from “Mushin”, the state of no-mind, in which thought, emotions, and expectations do not matter. Truly skillful Zen Calligraphy is not the product of intense practice, it is rather best achieved as the product of the no-mind state, a high level of spirituality and a heart free of disturbances.”

“Sumi-E: Japanese Ink Painting” by Sumiko Knudsen