Saru Gallery
       Japanese Prints & Japanese Paintings

Biography Kinkoku, Yokoi 金谷 横井 (1761 - 1831)

Kinkoku was born in Shimogasa (Shiga Prefecture) in 1761. He was a Buddhist priest of the Jôdo sect, and during his life he proved himself a man of many parts. He became especially famous as a Nanga painter, but he was also known as a haiku poet, sculptor, seal engraver and potter. He was the archetypal wandering artist-ascetic, creating a huge amount of paintings during his fairly long life. His style is instantly recognizable, he created his own vigorous version of Nanga. He also created a version of his own life by writing an autobiography in 1809, which has proved to be a baffling mix of fact and fiction. One thing is certain, he had a very varied and spectacular life, and died famous.