Budai, the Cloth-Sack Monk (Line Drawing)

Beneath a round nimbus, the Budai monk reclines on his sack with a gentle smile, spare and resilient lines tracing his ample form and rolling folds, a calm threaded with playful Zen.

Executed entirely in baimiao, the lines are clear and elastic; subtle shifts in weight and ink both define the forms and let the drapery ripple like water. A single circle of light rests behind his head as he leans diagonally on the cloth sack; feet open, hands relaxed, the round belly set against broad sleeves to convey settled weight. Along the lower edge, a branch-like diagonal entwines with ribbons of cloth to lead the rhythm, while broad reserves of paper deepen the stillness. At upper left the faint inscription “Budai Monk” balances the composition, leaving the whole poised between ease and benevolence with a hint of humor.

Category

Figure · Drawing

Year

1983