“Bunjin” in Japanese Art

This installation explores how some Japanese artists of the 1700s and 1800s interpreted what it meant to embrace a lifestyle centered on a shared appreciation of learning and literature. Bunjin is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word wenren (文人), literally “person of letters.” Often translated into English as “literati,” wenren originally referred to Chinese scholars of the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) who held government positions and fostered social groups in which they could exchange their own paintings and poems. Over time, knowledge of this tradition—professional scholars creating amateur artworks inspired by values shared with friends—found its way to both Japan and Korea. In Japan, the most widespread engagement with the idea of the scholar-artist took place during the Edo period (1615–1868).