Suiō Genro: A Brushstroke of Zen Born in Tokyo in 1717, Suiō Genro’s life was inextricably linked to the profound currents of Japanese Zen Buddhism. His journey began not within a studio filled with pigments and brushes, but as a young monk at Shōinji Temple, an institution already steeped in artistic tradition. This early immersion proved pivotal, shaping his aesthetic sensibilities and ultimately defining his distinctive style. He inherited the mantle of abbot from Hakuin, a towering figure in Zen Buddhism and a renowned painter himself – a lineage that profoundly influenced Suiō Genro’s a…