Josui Soen

JAPAN; Muromachi period

Josui Soen was a monk of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism in Japan. A Sesshu style master of painting, he was tasked with the duty of head librarian in charge of taking care of the Buddhist Canon at Engakuji Temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa.
Josui traveled to Yamaguchi to study under the famed artist, Sesshu Toyo, who deeply appreciated his works. He was the first person to inherit the painting style of Sesshu. A collection of letters exchanged between Josui and Sesshu are now part of the collection at the Umezawa Kinenkan Museum in Tokyo. Over ten of Josui’s masterpieces still exist; one of his most popular works is Bhadrapala, now kept at Engakuji Temple.