Zhu Fukan

CHINA, Shanghai

Zhu Fukan, originally named Yifang, was a seal engraver and calligrapher. He studied in France and was a former professor of the Fine Arts College of Shanghai, a Shanghai Buddhist Association consultant, and a council member of the Xiling Seal Art Society. He was well-versed in several artistic areas including epigraphy, calligraphy, painting, appreciation of antiques, and poetry.
In 1920, Zhu wrote a stele inscription for monk Daoyin, and in 1922, he painted an image of the Buddha seated on a plantain leaf. He moved to Jinan, Shandong in the 1950s and engaged in art design, later choosing to work in seclusion at Puzhao Temple on Taishan (Peaceful Mountain) in Shandong. In his later years, he returned to Shanghai, and in 1986, he wrote an inscription for the temple bell which was presented to Xuyun Temple in Hawaii as a gift from Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong. He also wrote a couplets for Yufo Temple in Shanghai.
Among Zhu’s Buddhist seal engravings is I Have Attained Non-Confronting Samadhi and Surpassed All Men, which integrates seal engraving, calligraphy, and a Buddha image into one. He also published several books on seal engraving, calligraphy, and painting.