Five Hundred Arhats No.416 · The Venerable Cleansing Conceit | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.416 The Venerable Cleansing Conceit

'Cleansing conceit' means wiping away and exhausting self-conceit and arrogance, making the heart humble, not exalting self over others; once the veil of pride is gone the heart is equal; the name marks one skilled in removing self-conceit, humble and gentle. The venerable makes a humble gesture with a modest look, possessing the modesty of removing conceit, humble and gentle, an equal heart, free of arrogance.

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