Mu (Nothingness)

The large central character on this sheet is mu or "nothingness," a key term in the philosophy of Zen Buddhism. This is understood as an alternative to dichotomies such as yes/no or positive/negative. As a practicing Buddhist, the Japanese printmaker Shiko Munakata often used religious subjects in his art. Munakata made this calligraphic work one day in 1963 after he had moved all of his belongings out of his studio and onto the street in Japan. Inspired by the emptiness of the space, he laid this sheet on the floor and boldly wrote the character with ink and brush.