Zenga: Filling in the Lines of Japanese Zen Painting

ZOOM Gallery Talk
Zenga: Filling in the Lines of Japanese Zen Painting
Recorded April 20, 2023

Mention the word ‘Zen’ nowadays and people will (think they) know what you mean – the concept of Zen has become familiar enough in the US that the term has entered our vernacular. This spring, several museum exhibitions across the country take a closer look at Japanese ink and Buddhist painting, particularly Zenga, or Japanese Zen painting. They tell a more complete story of its key figures and the central role of their fascinating artworks to understanding Buddhist precepts and history.

Our exceptional panel of well-published experts on the subject, and who are involved in those exhibitions, will further discuss how Zen was introduced to the US and the pivotal role of art in why it gained such traction in the popular imagination. Additionally, we will hear from collectors whose love of Japanese Zen painting and calligraphy made such exhibitions possible and how their crucial support impacts museums for the future.

PANELISTS:
BRADLEY BAILEY, Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Curator of Asian Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
PAUL BERRY, independent scholar based in Kyoto
ALICE and KURT GITTER, Japanese art collectors and museum patrons
PATRICIA J. GRAHAM, independent scholar and certified appraiser of Japanese art
YUKIO LIPPIT, Jeffrey T. Chambers and Andrea Okamura Professor of History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University, MA
MORGAN PITELKA, Bernard L. Herman Distinguished Professor and Chair of Dept. of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, NC
moderated by JOAN MIRVISS

0:00 Welcome remarks - JOAN MIRVISS
5:26 Introduction to Hakuin Ekaku - YUKIO LIPPIT
16:18 Zen in America, its origins and its artworks - BRADLEY BAILEY
25:20 A collecting journey in Zenga and Japanese art - KURT GITTER
36:32 Lotus Moon and Nandina Staff at the Ackland Art Museum - MORGAN PITELKA
44:48 True Image and Ōbaku Zen at the University of Arizona - PATRICIA GRAHAM
54:20 A closer look at Ōtagaki Rengetsu - MORGAN PITELKA
59:50 The proliferation of forgeries of Hakuin and Rengetsu - PAUL BERRY *EXTENDED CUT
1:15:04 Highlights from the Gitter-Yelen Collection - YUKIO LIPPIT
1:22:48 Collectors working with museums and institutions - ALICE GITTER
1:34:32 Museums working with collectors to enrich their holdings - BRADLEY BAILEY
1:42:03 Q&A - how to get started? - the GITTERS
1:44:48 Further information and gallery updates - JOAN

None Whatsoever: Zen Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: https://www.mfah.org/exhibitions/none...
Lotus Moon and Nandina Staff: The Art of Ōtagaki Rengetsu and Nakahara Nantenbō at the Ackland Art Museum: https://ackland.org/exhibition/lotus-...
True Image: Celebrating the Legacy of Ingen Ryuki and the Art of Ōbaku Zen at University of Arizona Center for Buddhist Studies: https://ingen.arizona.edu/art-exhibit...

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Event produced and edited by Bonnie B Lee, Joan B Mirviss LTD