Sesson Shukei

Biography

Sesson Shukei, born Satake Heizo in 1504 in Hitachi, Japan, was a Zen Buddhist monk and artist recognized as a cultural figure. Throughout his life, he became one of the most notable followers of the artist Sesshū (1420–1506). Sesson Shukei primarily created works in the suiboku genre, a traditional Japanese monochrome ink painting technique. His artistic activity spanned much of the 16th century. He died in 1589 in Iwasiro. Sesson Shukei holds an important place in Japanese art of the 1500s to 1600s and in the cultural tradition of Zen Buddhism.