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Liang Kai (; ''c''. 1140 - ''c''. 1210) was a Chinese painter of the 
File:Liang Kai - Li Bai Strolling.jpg, Li Bai Strolling
File:Immortal in Splashed Ink.jpg, Drunken Celestial
File:Liang Kai-Shakyamuni Emerging from the Mountains.jpg, Shakyamuni Emerging from the Mountains
File:南宋 梁楷 澤畔行吟圖 團扇-Poet strolling by a marshy bank MET DP154133.jpg, Poet strolling by a marshy bank
Southern Song
The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, ending ...
Dynasty. He was also known as Madman Liang because of his very informal pictures. He was born in Shandong and worked in Lin An (later Hangzhou
Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...
). He is known to have studied with the master Jia Shigu. He was awarded the rank of Painter-in-Attendance at the court of Jia Tai (1201-1204 CE, Southern Song Dynasty
The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...
) where he was known for mastery in painting figures, landscapes, and other minor subjects. He was also awarded the Golden Belt, however he left it behind when he left his position at court to practise Chan Buddhism.
Painting style
Liang Kai is most famous for originating or developing the "Xie Yi" (sometimes translated as "sketch style") of painting, where the objective is to evoke the subject or atmosphere with minimal use of detail; it requires a profound mastery of painting technique and perfect concentration, but also allows for the beauty of accidental effects. The Xie Yi style is closely associated with the "sudden enlightenment", "mindfulness", and "spontaneity" aspects of this school of Buddhism. Works generally attributed to Liáng Kǎi include: painting of the poetLi Bai
Li Bai (, 701–762), Literary and colloquial readings, also pronounced Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai (), was a Chinese poet acclaimed as one of the greatest and most important poets of the Tang dynasty and in Chinese history as a whole. He and hi ...
, the ''Drunken Celestial'' (''A Sage''), ''The Sixth Patriarch Cutting Bamboo'', and in a more academic style, a series called the ''Eight Eminent Monks'' paintings.
''The Sixth Chan Patriarch'' in particular exemplifies Chan Buddhism. It depicts Huineng
Dajian Huineng or Hui-nengThe Sutra of Hui-neng, Grand Master of Zen, with Hui-neng's Commentary on the Diamond Sutra, translated by Thomas Cleary, Shambhala Publications, 1998 (; February 27, 638 – August 28, 713), also commonly known as the ...
, a Chan master, crouching as he chops bamboo. This follows the idea of mundane tasks taking on spiritual value in accordance with the philosophy. The painted scene shows the patriarch's "Chan moment" in which he finally attains enlightenment through the resonating sound of the blade. The holy figure is drawn scruffy and almost caricature-like. This was meant to suggest that he is free from worldly concerns like appearance and social status/expectation. In this deceptively simple painting, Liang uses pale and wet brushstrokes. However, several dark lines are scattered throughout, as seen in the vine growing around the tree on the left side of the image, and accents on Huineng's clothing. Liang's style of abbreviated, expressive painting, along with his ability to casually create compelling images is what made him famous among Chan monks.See also
* Shussan Shaka, a painting motifReferences