Gochō is considered a master of Zen painting and calligraphy, although he was not a Zen monk. He was born the second son of a Shin-sect priest in Kyushu but trained as a monk of the esoteric Tendai sect. Gocho became celebrated a healer and also admired as a painter and calligrapher. His image range from elaborate depictions of Buddhist deities to ink paintings in Zen style, and his calligraphy is notable for its fluent power. (Stephen Addiss: 77 Dances, Japanese Calligraphy by Poets, Monks, and Scholars, p.231.)