Inshiraga

KOREA; Baekje period

Inshiraga was a Korean painter who was invited to Japan in 463 after Emperor Yuryaku (reigned 456–479) of the Kofun period began recruiting artists from the Baekje Kingdom. Among the painters being recruited, Inshiraga was known to be one of the first to be selected. He became a painter in the royal court and was responsible for all commissioned artworks, which included the painting of murals in various monasteries. During this period in Japanese history, large groups of artisans from both China and present-day Korea were brought into the country. These important figures imparted a vast influence on not only the art and culture of the country, but also, as Buddhism entered Japan shortly thereafter, the religious beliefs.