Sumi-e (Japanese ink wash)

Sumi-e is a traditional Japanese art form that uses black ink, typically on rice paper, to create expressive landscape, botanical, and subject paintings. It emphasizes simplicity, fluidity, and the beauty of minimalism, often capturing the essence rather than intricate detail. Artists use varying ink tones and brush techniques to evoke mood, movement, and depth. Rooted in Zen philosophy, Sumi-e encourages mindfulness and spontaneity, valuing the process as much as the finished piece. The result is a harmonious blend of form and empty space, conveying both nature’s beauty and the artist’s inner spirit.