The monks with whom he associated wished to make him a high ranking Zen monk but his passion was painting, so he refused this in order to study art under LI Longmian of Ming Dynasty China, and went on to find success as the first temple artist.
周囲からは禅僧として高位の位を望まれたが、画を好む明兆はこれを拒絶して明の李竜眠から画法を学び、初の寺院専属の画家として大成した。