Kumashiro Yuhi 熊代熊斐

熊代熊斐 Kumashiro Yūhi (1712–1773)
Kumashiro Yūhi was a painter and Chinese interpreter who was active in mid-Edo period Nagasaki. His artistic training began under Watanabe Shūseki, a government-appointed painter specializing in Chinese-style art. Later, in 1732, he studied directly under Shen Nanpin, a Chinese painter visiting Japan at the time, for approximately nine months. He continued his studies under Gao Qian, a disciple of Shen Nanpin who also came to Japan. Kumashiro Yūhi became the only direct Japanese disciple of Shen Nanpin and went on to become a leading figure in the Nanpin school of colorful bird-and-flower painting. He nurtured many students and contributed to the spread of this painting style across Japan.