ko yugai
early life and spiritual journey ko yugai, also known as baisaō, was a japanese buddhist monk of the ōbaku school of zen buddhism, born in 1675 in the town of hasuike, hizen province. his early life was marked by the loss of his father at the age of nine. this event likely influenced his decision to become a zen buddhist monk at ryushinji, an ōbaku temple, where he adopted the name gekkai gensho. the tea seller and artist as ko yugai matured in his spiritual journey, he became famous for traveling around kyoto selling tea. this unique approach to spreading zen buddhism's teachings earned him…
The Subject Atlas
A chart of ko yugai's corpus mapped not by date but by subject. Spokes are what they painted; rings are when; and the threads between stars reveal the patrons and places that secretly connect them.
Spokes — Subject
Each arm of the atlas gathers works by what they depict: portraits, sacred scenes, mythologies, and the scientific studies. Click a spoke to swing that cluster to the top.
Rings — Career Period
Distance from the center marks time. The innermost ring is the earliest period; the outermost, the final years. Style matures as you move outward.
Threads — Shared Context
Coloured lines link works bound by the same patron, commission, or theme. Trace a context to watch related clusters light up across subjects.
