I learned Japanese ink painting, or Sumi-e while living in Japan. Sumi-e is commonly described as art done in monochrome, using Sumi ink and handmade paper: Sumi-e means black ink painting (Sumi 墨 = black ink, e 絵 = painting). Sumi-e is the embodiment of Japanese aesthetics, and I was mesmerized by its simplicity and beauty. Using simple black ink and carefully curated white space, Sumi-e captures the timeless beauty and complexity of the natural world. The simple but sometimes bold use of the brush would often capture the subject's spirit and convey a wide range of expressions, from dynamic power to elegance and tranquility. Zen Buddhist monks from China introduced this style of ink art to Japan in the fourteenth century, where over time, the brush strokes were reduced in number and simplified and were often combined with poetry to create the Sumi-e style that we know today. Since its inception, the art of ink painting has focused on the quality of the line; this is what captures the form.