Soga Syohaku (1730 – 1781) was a painter of the mid-Edo period, born into a merchant family in Kyoto called Tambaya or Tango-ya. His real family name was Miura, and his given name was Teruo. In addition to his pen name, he also went by other names, such as Jetsuken, Toramichi, and Onjinsai. It is said that he studied under Takada Keisuke, who was a descendant of Kyo Kano. He traveled around the Ise region, and many of his works can still be seen in Ise today.
Calling himself a descendant of the Zenga school, Xiao Bai painted many traditional subjects, such as Chinese historical figures. Learning from Keisuke’s eccentric and bold painting style and sublimating it, Xiao Bai’s works are characterized by eccentric expressions that push subjectivity and individuality to the forefront.
