Look Who it Was Random video

POETIC IMAGINATION SYMPOSIUM - Arata Shimao

473 views · Published 11 December 2018 · 57:10 · Indexed 25 September 2026

Channel: Portland Art Museum · 2018 · Education

Watch on YouTube

Poetic Imagination in Japanese Art: A Symposium
The Mildred Schnitzer Annual Asian Art Program for 2018

The World of Brush and Ink

Professor Arata Shimao, Gakushūin University

Suibokuga, or ink painting, uses two essential components: black ink and a brush. Yet these seemingly simple materials create a rich art form that breathes life onto the blank surface of white paper or silk. Ink can impart a variety of tones, from the palest gray to the deepest black; water allows for infinite gradations and shading. When the tip of the brush touches the surface of a painting, ink soaks into the fibers of the supporting paper or silk. Thus, ink painting exists not only “on” the support, but also “in” the support. Understanding the nature of ink is fundamental to a deeper appreciation of ink painting. 

In this lecture, Professor Shimao uses the nature of ink as a starting point to explore several of the typical styles, subjects, and expressive characters of the ink paintings which can be seen in the exhibition.

This lecture was recorded on December 08, 2018 in Portland Art Museum's Whitsell Auditorium.

Note: YouTube's automated closed captions may not accurately transcribe the Japanese text. We appreciate your understanding.

More from this channel