ENSO

KOKO ENJO (“Each thing is perfect”)

The enso is a prevelant image in the art of Zen Buddhism. It is used to express the complex nature of Zen and represents everything and nothing, completeness, brightness, empty yet overflowing. I have always thought of the enso as the physics formula equivalent of Zen Buddhism.

I find the enso a provocative image that can be “drawn” in an infinite variety and can be evoke a different response from each viewer. The image appeals to me as it visually represents the spinning wheel and the nothingness you start with a lump of clay. It reminds me of those moments of “moving Zen” when a truly great potter is throwing, without thought and consciousness, the pot just happens. For me, it is hard to separate the enso image and the chawan of the Momoyama and early Edo days. These are pots that appear to have just happened, made by unknown craftsman, without ego and intellectualism.