Kuncan (Shixi): A Buddhist Monk's Rustic Landscapes Born: 1612, Wuling, Hunan, China Died: 1673 Other Names: Shixi Kuncan, also known as Shixi, was a significant figure in late Ming Dynasty Chinese painting. Born in 1612 in Wuling, Hunan province, his life took a defining turn at the age of 27 when he became a Buddhist monk. He eventually served as an abbot at a monastery in Nanjing, a position that profoundly shaped both his personal life and artistic expression. Kuncan is primarily celebrated for his landscape paintings executed in a distinctive "rough and rustic" style – a departu…