Critic's picks - visual arts

ZEN MIND/ZEN BRUSH: JAPANESE INK PAINTINGS FROM THE GITTER-YELEN COLLECTION A show of painting and calligraphy inspired by Zen, the likable, pared-back version of Buddhism that has become popular in the materialist, God-doubting West. Simplicity, directness, and an almost perverse way with composition are hallmarks of these works. Through Jan. 4. Museum of Fine Arts. 617-267-9300, www.mfa.org

GARY KNOX BENNETT: CALL ME CHAIRMAKER Fifty-two one-of-a-kind chairs, many of them riffing on designs by the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright, Gerrit Rietveld, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The show was organized by the Bellevue Arts Museum in Washington. Through Feb. 8. Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton. 508-588-6000, www.fullercraft.org

SEBASTIAN SMEE