Wandering Samurai

Wandering Samurai, originally uploaded by plasticpumpkin.

Who is he? Where is he going?

An archetype of the never-ending  journey of life, this long-haired, wandering samurai passes through an ancient landscape. He is rendered in Chinese brush painting strokes (each stroke is laid down only once–you can’t go back and forth over the same spot to correct a mistake!), on crisp white rice paper. The contrast is heavy. The background is purposefully left blank.

He wears several layers and traditional grass sandals known as waraji. His reed hat is more than just a method for keeping the rain off, it can deflect the blows of arrows and swords.

A warrior-scholar-artist pathway prior to the Meiji revolution in Japan, the samurai was an integral part of fuedal society. After the revolution, the old ways died out and many samurai found themselves without a traditional “lord” system, wandering without purpose. This young man must have been one of the last samurai during the war.

However, he’s not lost at all. He wanders, but as a form of moving meditation.

This original painting is now available in my Etsy shop.

Thank you for visiting!