Daoist Master Fei Zhangfang with a Dragon 1555 - 1561

Sesson Shūkei painted Daoist Master Fei Zhangfang with a Dragon using ink on paper during the Muromachi period in Japan. Sesson, who was a Zen Buddhist priest, demonstrates a uniquely Japanese interpretation of Chinese art. Here, the artist references the Daoist story of Fei Zhangfang, who is said to have healed the sick by summoning a dragon from his pot. Sesson’s expressive ink technique and brushwork create an atmosphere of spiritual power and the ethereal quality of a mystical encounter. The dragon emerging from the pot is not depicted in a traditional way but is more of an implication, inviting the viewer to visualize the mystical event. Sesson departs from traditional, decorative approaches, expressing himself through rough, abstracting brushstrokes. The dark ink strokes seem to mirror the turbulence of the Muromachi period, a time marked by political unrest and social change. Sesson conveys not just a scene, but also an emotional experience of Daoist transcendence and freedom, mirroring the Zen values he embraced.