Paintings done by Ōbaku 黄檗 (Ch: Huangbo) Zen 禅 monks and their followers. Many modern historians also include religious portraits *chinsō 頂相 of Ōbaku monks in this category.
A new wave of Chinese influence came to Japanese Zen Buddhism in the mid-17th century when many Ōbaku sect monks, at the fall of the Ming dynasty in China, emigrated to Japan and in 1665 constructed the chief Ōbaku sect temple Manpukuji 萬福寺, Kyoto. Immigrant Chinese monks, as abbots at Manpukuji, led Ōbaku Zen for the next 100 years while Japanese monks played an important role in spreading the doctrine. The Ōbaku sect's syncretic teachings, combining elements of Pure Land Buddhism and the esoteric sects with Zen practice did not profoundly affect Japanese religion. Rather, it was the late Ming culture, customs and art which came with Chinese monks that were of greatest interest to the Japanese.
Ōbakuga produced by both Chinese and Japanese monk artists are mainly ink-paintings in the literati style *bunjinga 文人画, which include bamboo, orchid, peony, narcissus and lotus subjects and are often accompanied by poems. The brushwork is directly associated with the broad, fluent and supple calligraphy for which Ōbaku monks are also distinguished. Major figures include the patriarch Ingen 隠元 (Ch: Yinyuan, 1592-1673), who together with his followers Mokuan 木庵 (Ch: Mu'an, 1611-84) and Sokuhi 即非 (Ch: Jifei, 1616-71), were known as the Three Brushes of Ōbaku, a reference to their skill at calligraphy. The first monk who actually emigrated to Japan, Itsunen 逸然 (Ch: Yiran, 1601-68), is known for his painting of Buddhist figures. Itsunen had a number of pupils in Nagasaki and his art influenced both the *Kano-ha 狩野派 and *Nagasaki-ha 長崎派 painters of the day. Also active in the 17th century was the monk Dokuryū 獨立 (1596-1672), a poet and calligrapher, and the Sōtō 曹洞 Zen monk Shin'etsu 心越 (1639-96). These two monk-painters are considered the originators of literati seal-carving in Japan, and Dokuryū's calligraphy was very influential. Other monk-painters include Tetsugyū 鉄牛 (1628-1700), Taihō 大鵬 (1691-1774), and the nun Ryōnen 了然 (1646-1711). Ōbakuga affected a number of literati painters in Japan. Gion Nankai 祇園南海 (1677-1751), considered to be the pioneer of bunjinga, was influenced by ōbakuga pictorial style, and by Ōbaku calligraphy. Several literati masters were influenced by Taihō's bamboo painting. It is recorded that Ike no Taiga 池大雅 (1723-76) visited Manpukuji when Taihō was the abbot. Kuwayama Gyokushū 桑山玉洲 (1746-99) also attempted on occasion to emulate Taihō's style.
Also considered part of ōbakuga are the portrait paintings of Ōbaku monks, which were painted by professional artists. Having received personal instruction from the Chinese Ōbaku monks, the Nagasaki-ha artists Kita Genki 喜多元規 (act. 1664-98) and Kita Sōun 喜多宗雲 (fl. 17th century) brushed many extant Ōbaku portraits. These artists followed the Chinese portraiture style at that time, which in turn is thought to have been influenced by Western techniques.