博
Artist: Zhao Puchu
Date: Modern
Material: Ink on paper
The Heart Sutra (aka. the Prajñāpāramitā Sutra) expounds how the Bodhisattva, referred to here as 'Avalokiteśvara', perceives reality and attains the state of liberation through wisdom. The sutra states that 'it is because of his non-attainment that a Bodhisattva, through having relied on the Perfection of Wisdom, has no conceptual attachment...and ultimately attains Nirvana'. This calligraphic work is written in regular script with unpolished brushstrokes in an archaic style. The strokes appear restrained yet still vital, and the parts of the characters are angled slightly but retain a stable construction. Alternating wet and dry brushwork reveals a hint of inadvertent naivety beyond calligraphic artistry. Zhao Puchu produced this work in 1996 at the age of ninety.
