Richard Charles Kirsten (AKA: Richard Kirsten Daiensai) is a painter, printmaker, sculptor, illustrator and Buddhist priest who was born in Chicago, Illinois, and lives in Seattle, Washington, where he has for most of his life. Since 1957, he has also lived for 3 to 8 months a year in Japan, where he produces much of his work inspired by visits to remote Buddhist shrines and temples there, and in South Korea.

His mediums are acrylics, watercolour, wood block print, mixed mediums and bronze sculpture. His subjects are figures, animals, flowers, birds, humour, Buddha, landscape, fantasy and semi abstract, all primarily focusing on spirituality and Zen Buddhism. His styles are surrealism, expressionism, semi abst...