To enjoy life’s immensity, you do not need many things. (Ryōkan [1758–1831], Zen Buddhist monk, hermit, and poet)
Ido Masao (1945– ) was born in Beipiaio in Northeastern China; his family hailed from Kyoto and returned to this city in 1960. In 1972, he began making woodblock prints and started developing his individual style which gained him worldwide recognition. In his work he strives to preserve the tranquility and beauty of Japanese villages, temples, and landscapes. Among his numerous prints, those depicting Zen gardens are characterised by particular clarity and straightforwardness. The artist simplifies and synthesises in order to grasp the very nature and structure of objects and offer the viewer not only aesthetic but also contemplative experience. See the artistʼs website [here].
Top to bottom: Taizō-in, 1987 [source]; Garden, 1987 [source]; Zen Garden I, 2003 [source]; Zen Garden, 1983 [source]; Shoden-ji Zen Garden, Kyoto [source]; Nanzen-ji Rock Garden in Kyoto, no date [source].
