The demon queller Zhong Kui is arguably one of the most popular figures from Chinese folklore depicted in East Asian art from past to present. We explore this famous specter and vanquisher of ghosts and demons through a 20th-century Japanese ink painting by Katsushika Hokusai (yes, the same Hokusai known for The Great Wave print). Hokusai’s hanging scroll painting is a fictional rendering of Zhong Kui depicted in bright red ink. Taking a close look at this painting, we explore some of the historical legends that surround Zhong Kui and explain why his image was significant to both Chinese and Japanese audiences. *For contemporary manifestations of the demon queller, see Black Myth: Zhong Kui, the new action role-playing game!

Speaker: Dr. Cortney Chaffin Kim

Main Image: Katsushika Hokusai, Zhong Kui (Shōki), the Demon Queller, 1811, Edo period, hanging scroll, red ink on paper. Boston, Museum of Fine Arts.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction to Hokusai’s Zhong Kui

0:50 Who is Zhong Kui?

1:32 Tales of the Demon Queller

2:44 Significance of images of Zhong Kui

Learn more

Discover more about Hokusai and Edo Japan: https://www.artsq.org/early-modern-japan

See more materials about East Asia: https://www.artsq.org/all-of-asia