Banana Plants

About this work

You see a tall banana plant with broad leaves and small hanging fruit, painted in black ink on paper. Min Zhen made this for a friend, trading it for a scholar’s stone—a prized rock shaped by nature. The leaves look almost alive, their edges curling as if touched by wind. The ink is light in some spots, dark in others, giving the plant depth without color. Look up other works from China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911) to see how artists used ink like this.