Nirvana (Reclining Buddha)

A sweeping ink panorama opens into a cave-like hush: a reclining Buddha’s head rests with downcast eyes as attendants and donors line the ledge, threadlike ripples and softened drapery gathering all motion into a stillness of nirvana.

Executed as a large-scale ink composition, firm contour drawing meets veils of pale wash to model rock, curtain-like shadows, and varied textures. The monumental recumbent figure spans the scene: a serene face to the left, with robe folds and an outstretched hand dissolving into deep shadow at right. Below, a procession advances in order—some holding vessels, others with palms joined—toward a central altar piled with offerings, while a meandering watercourse in the foreground leads the eye inward. Figures along the upper bank echo the rippled water beyond, and the play of solid and void shapes a solemn, resonant quiet.

Category

Figure · Drawing

Year

1996