Bokkei

JAPAN; Muromachi period

Bokkei was a monastic painter of the Soga school. According to Manuscripts of the Village Temples, he corresponded with the well-known monk and artist, Tensho Shubun of Shokokuji Temple. He adopted the painting style of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) and his paintings were concise yet striking. He learned meditation under Ikkyu Sojun of Daitokuji Temple and established a strong bond with him, ultimately becoming an active artist alongside him between 1460 and 1486. Among his works, many relate to Ikkyu.
Currently collected at Shorinji Temple in Osaka is his painting of Ikkyu dated to 1452. Other extant works include Bodhidharma Facing the Wall, retained at the Okayama Municipal Museum of Art as well as Bodhidharma and Ascetic Buddha, which are kept at Shinjuan Temple in Kyoto.