Untitled (Grapes)

Sumi-e is commonly described as art done in monochrome, with the use of sumi ink and handmade paper: Sumi-e means black ink painting (sumi 墨 = black ink, e 絵 = painting).

Throughout the long history of China, the work of scholars included the transcribing of documents and the writing of literature. These gentlemen of letters were accustomed to using brush and ink on paper, and especially during the Southern Song dynasty, many began to add simplified artwork to their poetry. Their simple but sometimes bold use of the brush would often capture the spirit of the subject, and would convey a wide range of expression, from dynamic power to elegance and tranquility.

Zen Buddhist monks from China introduced this style of ink art to Japan in the fourteenth century where over time the brush strokes were reduced in number and simplified and were often combine with poetry to create the sumi-e style that we know today. The focus of the art of ink painting since its inception has been on the quality of the line; this is what captures the form.