文殊菩薩法義=Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī teaching; 普賢菩薩法義=Bodhisattva Samantabadhra teaching; 夏荊山佛畫=Buddhist art by Xia Jing Shan; 文殊圖像=images of Mañjuśrī; 普賢圖像=images of Samantabadhra
Renowned contemporary Buddhist painter, Xia Jing Shan, has accumulated over thousands of paintings since he started his art career decades ago. Inheriting the essence of traditional Chinese literati painting, Xia also incorporates in his art his personal faith and experience with Buddhism, with his entire oeuvre consisting mainly of paintings depicting subject matters related to Buddhism, especially Buddhist portraits. Xia has depicted Buddhist figures including several buddhas, such as Shakyamuni, Bhaiśajyaguru (the Medicine Buddha), and Amitabha, and bodhisattvas such as Avalokiteśvara, Mañjuśrī (Monju), Samantabadhra (Fugen), Ksitigarbha, and acolytes next to Buddhas. He also paints monks and sages, including Bodhidharma, Hanshan, Shide, and various Arhats, and also celestial guardians, such as the Four Heavenly Kings, Skanda, and others. This paper focuses on paintings of Bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī and Samantabadhra by Xia Jing Shan, and begins by reviewing paintings of these two bodhisattvas found in traditional Buddhist portraits, examining how the principles and teachings and also the artistic styles have evolved. The paper then transitions to examine Buddhist portraits by Xia, focusing on the dozens of Bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī and Samantabadhra portraits the artist has created. The structures observed in the paintings are divided into three categories, with further analysis conducted on the traditions and innovations demonstrated by Xia on the techniques and stylistic expressions he has used in his Bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī and Samantabadhra portraits, with the teachings and virtues embodied also discussed.
