The legend has it that Bodhidharma was originally the prince of an Indian king, later became a monk to study with Prajñātāra, then took a boat from India to China where he taught Zen practice so that Zen Buddhism was passed on from generation to generation in China. Moved by Bodhidharma coming all the way from India to spread Buddhist teachings, Xia Jing Shan has often featured Bodhidharma in his paintings. Adept at applying Meticulous Chinese painting techniques to depict Bodhidharma’s facial expressions with fine details and using freehand painting techniques to outline Bodhidharma’s garments, Xia Jing Shan leaves most of the background blank featuring a protagonist-centered composition so as to highlight Bodhidharma’s straightforward but profound Zen teachings.
Xia Jing Shan’s vast experience in inking and using lines to construct shapes, combined with exaggerated realism techniques, creates Bodhidharma’s facial expression, gestures and mudra, while light reddish purple color is used as a supplementary color to give Bodhidharma a vibrant air and a new, lively look.
简中｜鸿运达摩
Paintings
Xia Jing Shan
ink and color on paper
142x74.5
2011
題跋：祖師西來唯傳心佛 直指汝心本來是佛心 心不異故名為祖 若直下見此意即頓超三乘 一切諸位本來是佛 時客京都於靈峰山莊霜月燈下夏荊山敬作
印記：楠竹居士、夏氏荊山、觀照般若
B-0-0008-P
