Enso japanese
When drawn according to the sōsho (cursive) style of Japanese calligraphy, the brushstroke is especially swift. Usually, a person draws the ensō in one fluid, expressive stroke. When the circle is closed, it represents perfection, akin to Plato's perfect form, the reason why the circle was used for centuries in the construction of cosmological models (see Ptolemy). Zen practitioners relate the idea to wabi-sabi, the beauty of imperfection. In the former case, the circle is incomplete, allowing for movement and development as well as the perfection of all things. The tools and mechanics of drawing the ensō are the same as those used in traditional Japanese calligraphy: One uses an ink brush to apply ink to washi (a thin Japanese paper). It is characterised by a minimalism born of Japanese aesthetics.ĭrawing ensō is a disciplined-creative practice of Japanese ink painting, sumi-e.
The enso is perhaps the most common subject of Japanese calligraphy. Refined shodo (書道) work by the master calligrapher Ougai Kofude (小筆凰外) depicting an enso (円相), that is a circle.