Shixi

CHINA, Hunan, Changde; Ming to Qing dynasty

Shixi, whose Dharma name was Kuncan, was a monk, calligrapher, and painter who was also well-known for his poetry. He was renowned as one of the Four Eminent Monks of the late Ming (1368–1644) and early Qing (1644–1911) dynasties and was also regarded as one of the “Two Shis,” alongside Shitao. According to Biography of Kuncan Shixi, written by Qian Chengzhi, he received the tonsure at the age of 27. In 1654 he went to Nanjing and assisted in the carving of the Tripitaka at Dabao’en Temple. He once turned down an offer from Chan Master Juelang Daosheng to be his Dharma heir. Instead, he traveled to several temples, and further studied under Master Lianchi Zhuhong. In his later years, he served as the abbot of Youqi Temple in Jiangsu.
Shixi’s paintings reveal the influence of various well-known artists such as Wu Zhen, Shen Zhou, and Wen Zhengming, yet he expressed his individuality with his unique and adept use of bald point pen and semi-dry brush. His landscapes were skillfully executed in the style of Juran. Shixi’s calligraphy is reminiscent of the style of Yan Zhenqing and exhibits proficiency in semi-cursive and cursive scripts. He often composed poems or postscripts in his paintings that exemplified his deep understanding of Chan.
Shixi’s paintings include Bodhidharma Facing the Wall and Bao’en Temple, both of which are kept at Sen-oku Hakuko Kan in Kyoto, Japan; High Mountains and Long Rivers, kept at National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan; and numerous landscape and other paintings kept at the Palace Museum in Beijing and Shanghai Museum. His extant calligraphy includes Letter from Master Shixi to Fang, kept at Ho’s Calligraphy Foundation in Taipei.