「Look at the Picture and Talk about the Painting」Kang Jianyi’s “Manifest Forms of Matter” Comes to an End, but Zen Practice Has No Final Destination

From the first sprout of moss in spring to the ending of “Manifest Forms of Matter” in late autumn, the lingering charm of Kang Jianyi’s brushstrokes still clings to the moss on the eaves of the Ryosokuin Zen Buddhist Temple.

This finale was actually another beginning. The ancient temple’s essence has long been marked by the “transcending boundaries to convey meaning”. From being a witness to Zen Master Eisai’s journey across the sea with tea seeds and the connection of Chinese and Japanese cultures through Zen, to hosting Hiroshi Sugimoto’s modern photography, Jonas Wood’s creations, and Kang Jianyi’s ink embedded in the mossy paths and stone steps, each ending is a new hint in the cultural thread.

With his pen, forged by his cross-disciplinary identity, he encapsulates the spatial order of architecture, wraps the serene and empty charm of a Zen garden, and continues the spirit of Eisai: in the past, the Zen master spread Zen through tea, and now he explores Zen through ink, both being practices that transcend boundaries.

In the Zen atmosphere of the Ryosokuin Zen Buddhist Temple, the tea of Zen Master Eisai, the shadows of Hiroshi Sugimoto, and the brushstrokes of Kang Jianyi have long been interwoven into an unbroken thread. Every stopover in art is a growth of the Zen realm and cultural context towards the further distance.

The tea for today is all gone. Next time, I’ll brew a fresh pot and enjoy art with you again.