Background
Kōkei was born in Japan in 1175. Originally named Hizen. Kokei Kokei was a direct descendant, both genetically and artistically, of Jocho, a master sculptor of the Heian period.
Kōkei was born in Japan in 1175. Originally named Hizen. Kokei Kokei was a direct descendant, both genetically and artistically, of Jocho, a master sculptor of the Heian period.
Kokei Kokei was likely the organizer of the Kei school, which comprised his sons, disciples, and assistants.
Today, Kokei is best known for leading teams involved in the 1188–1189 reconstruction of the Todai-ji and Kōfuku-ji, temples in Nara, Japan. He and his assistants were placed in charge of work at the Nanendo (Southern Octagonal Hall). Statues by Kokei there include the Four Heavenly Guardians and the Six Patriarchs of Hosso. The centerpiece is the giant Fukukenjaku Kannon, which he created in 1188. The images he made at Todaiji Temple were later burnt, but some of his works can still be seen at the Kofukuji Temple at Nara.
Kokei's works are still largely in the Heian mold established by his ancestor, Jocho. For example, Kokei's Fukukenjaku Kannon follows Jocho's canon of proportions: widely spread legs provide a base for a triangular figure with a square-shaped face. Likewise, the folds of drapery still follow a conventional geometric pattern. However, Kokei does show signs of the emerging realism that characterizes the art of the Kei school. He uses crystal inlays to give a more lifelike sheen to the Kannon's eyes and byakugo (Sanskrit: urna). The details of the face and clothing are more deeply carved and realized than those in Jocho's work. Individual hairs are carefully carved into the figure's head. The result is a figure that seems more corporeal than the ephemeral-looking works of the previous 150 years.
