Five Hundred Arhats No.235 · The Venerable Alone Beyond Veils | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.235 The Venerable Alone Beyond Veils

'Alone beyond veils' means to let go of coverings and hindrances and dwell alone in a quiet place, apart from the crowd, the heart always in solitude; the name marks one who abandons the veils and abides alone in stillness. The venerable makes a solitary gesture with a detached look, possessing the aloofness of letting coverings go, dwelling alone in quiet, diligently pursuing the path within silence.

Painted by Li Zongyi in the freehand Chinese ink (xieyi) tradition, the brushwork is fluent and the ink tones layered from dense to pale, capturing the arhat’s spirit in a few assured strokes. The blank paper itself breathes Zen; figure and spirit are one, blending monastic solemnity with the literati’s ease. Each of the Five Hundred Arhats bears its own name and practice, uniting faith, art and collectibility — an original, non-reproducible hand-painted work.

Size: approx. 100×50cm (4.5 square chi) | Traditional hand-painted Chinese ink Zen Buddhist figure painting | On paper