Modern Ink: The Art of Xugu

Not all painters start out this way: Xugu (1823-1896), also known as Zhu Xubai and Huairen, was first an army officer before becoming a Buddhist monk of the ancient Chan (Zen) sect inspired by Taoism.

Although Xugu was a member of the Shanghai art world, highly regarded by fellow artists who in turn became his closest friends, he was less well known outside those circles. Though his works were reproduced lithographically in the Dianshizhai huabao, the foremost pictorial magazine of the day, Xugu opted for a secluded yet itinerant lifestyle as a monk.