sumi-e

American  

[soo-mee-e] / ˈsu miˈɛ /

noun

Japanese.

plural

sumi-e

1. (in fine arts) a monochrome painting executed in ink.

   Zen painters were masters of sumi-e.

---

Etymology

Origin of sumi-e

First recorded in 1935–40; from Japanese , equivalent to sumi “India ink” + e “drawing, painting”

Example Sentences

Their Hiroshima Panels consisted of 6-by-24-foot scroll paintings done in a mixture of Iri’s traditional sumi-e and Toshiko’s Western-style figurative painting.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2020

It is a sumi-e image, an ink wash drawing on silk, in which a few, deft, calligraphic strokes capture a giant sequoia battered by wind and precipitation, perhaps rain, or snow.

From Washington Post • Apr. 2, 2020

Its crystalline opacities resemble those of classical sumi-e ink painting, suggesting hills, river currents, islands or the wreathing of vapor.

From Time Magazine Archive