The Intrinsic Connection Between Zen Aesthetics and Modernist Painting: An Exploration from a Cross-Cultural Perspective

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-815-8_73How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Zen Aesthetics; Modernism; Cross-Cultural; Spirituality

Abstract

This paper adopts the perspective of cross-cultural comparative study, primarily conducting a formal analysis and comparison—that is, comparing the resonance and similarities between Zen aesthetic principles and modernist paintings in terms of formal language, creative process, and aesthetic effects. Focusing on the Zen aesthetic principles of ‘simplicity,’ ‘ethereality,’ and ‘sudden enlightenment,’ the analysis explores how these concepts resonated with the linguistic innovations of modernist painting through their embodiment in formal simplification, the interplay of void and substance, and intuitive creation. By examining ‘dematerialization’ and active viewer participation, this study explores how Zen aesthetics provided modernist art with pathways to transcend dualistic oppositions and return to humanistic liberation. It reveals a shared impetus in both traditions towards shifting art from material representation to spiritual exploration, thereby uncovering a commonality in artistic spirit between Eastern and Western civilizations.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Haolin Wang
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/08/13
TI  - The Intrinsic Connection Between Zen Aesthetics and Modernist Painting: An Exploration from a Cross-Cultural Perspective
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 4th International Conference on Art Design and Digital Technology (ADDT 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 680
EP  - 688
SN  - 2352-538X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-815-8_73
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-815-8_73
ID  - Wang2025
ER  -