Zen-schildering en kalligrafie 1872 - 1958

Miura Jōten created this Zen painting and calligraphy, using ink on paper, to make you think. He’s not making it easy, and I love him for it! The inky blackness contrasts with the wispy, almost shy, calligraphy that dances above the central image: a simple balance scale. See how the ink pools in some areas, creating these deep, rich blacks? It's like the artist let the ink do its own thing, embracing the accidental, the unpredictable. This tension between control and chance is a big part of what makes this piece so alive, so immediate. It’s a process of discovery and improvisation. I can't help but think of Franz Kline, another artist who knew how to make black ink sing, but here, with Jōten, there's a quietness, a stillness that invites contemplation. It’s like he’s asking us: what do you value, and what is its true weight? What do you bring to the balance? It’s not about answers, it's about the questions themselves.