Shoun Genkei

JAPAN; Edo period

Shoun Genkei, who had an original family name of Kyube, was a Zen monk of the Obaku school of Japanese Buddhism, as well as a sculptor of Buddhist figures. He renounced in 1669 at the age of 22 and practiced Zen meditation under Zen Master Tetsugen Doko at Zuiryuji Temple in Osaka.
After renunciation, Shoun traveled far and wide throughout Japan. He vowed, after seeing the Five Hundred Arhats at Rakanji Temple in Oita, to be more committed to his art and create more statues. By 1695, through alms procession, he collected enough funds to sculpt a series of 536 statues which included Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats. Between 1840 and 1919, several statues went missing; today, only 305 remain and are kept at Gyokuhoji Temple in Tokyo. He also sculpted a set of the Three Buddhas, and Sangharama at Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo.
Shoun adapted his style from that of Fan Daosheng, a Ming dynasty (1368–1644) sculptor from China, adding the stable essence of Japanese form. Each of his Buddha statues appear lively with a well-defined structure and detailed garments.