Installation shot, None Whatsoever, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Zenga: Filling in the Lines of Japanese Zen Painting
April 20, 2023 at 5pm EST (New York)

Mention the word 'Zen' nowadays and people will (think they) know what you mean – the concept of Zen has become familiar enough in the US that the term has entered our vernacular. This spring, several museum exhibitions across the country take a closer look at Zenga, or Japanese Zen painting, and tell a more complete story of Zen's background and meaning: of Zen Buddhism's precepts, its key figures, and their fascinating artworks. Panelists involved in those exhibitions will further discuss how Zen was introduced to the US and the pivotal role of art in why it gained such traction in the popular imagination. Additionally, we will hear from collectors whose love of Japanese Zen painting and calligraphy made such exhibitions possible and how their crucial support impacts museums for the future.

PANELISTS:
Bradley Bailey, Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Curator of Asian Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
Paul Berry, independent scholar based in Kyoto
Alice and Kurt Gitter, Japanese art collectors and museum patrons
Patricia J. Graham, independent scholar and certified appraiser of Japanese art
Yukio Lippit, Jeffrey T. Chambers and Andrea Okamura Professor of History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University, MA
Morgan Pitelka, Bernard L. Herman Distinguished Professor and Chair of Dept. of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, NC
moderated by Joan Mirviss

To register for this free event, please click here.