Sumi-E: Japanese Ink Painting – Bamboo (Four Noble Ones)

Sumi-E: Japanese Ink Painting – Bamboo (Four Noble Ones) is a hands-on class at RESOBOX in Long Island City where participants learn Japanese ink-wash painting. The session's theme is bamboo (take), one of the Four Noble Ones (shikunshi) alongside the orchid, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom, plants that have anchored East Asian ink painting for centuries and that stand for resilience and integrity in bamboo's case. Students begin with basics such as holding the brush, then paint the jointed stalk with steady strokes, mark the nodes, and finish with clusters of leaves in dark and light ink evoking the movement of wind. The class is taught by instructor Kohfu Furukawa, and all materials, including ink, brushes, and calligraphy paper, are provided.