Installation view, Bian Kai: Conjuring Realities

Bian Kai: Conjuring Realities
On view through August 17, 2025
Red No. 1-B1, Caochangdi, Chaoyang District, Beijing

INKstudio is proud to present Bian Kai: Conjuring Realities, the first solo exhibition for the Liaoning-born visual artist Bian Kai (b. 1981). In his contemporary painting practice, Bian Kai draws extensively upon China’s rich mythological, philosophical and religious narrative traditions referencing classical texts—such as the Warring States Era Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Six Dynasties Peach Blossom Spring and the Tang Dynasty Buddhist Canon A Biography of The Tripiṭaka Master of the Great Ci’en Monastery—to render modern parables for our contemporary times. Using the various historical, heavy-polychrome, visual-narrative languages employed in Buddhist and Taoist temple murals, Tibetan Buddhist thangkas and Chinese imperial court painting, Bian Kai visually reconstitutes the mythological, religious content of his source material but never in a direct retelling or portrayal of the canonical story or image. Rather, in what he describes as painting as “performance” yan 演 or art(ifice), he transforms the canonical telling to conjure a “truth” zhen 真 for his audience that is both transcendent and personal.

The exhibition features the artist’s representative masterworks from the last ten years including (on the first floor) Next Stop: Peach Blossom Spring 下一站桃花源 (2024) from his “City” series; the monumental screen The Unbound Journey 逍遥 (2022) from his “Wandering Far and Wide” series; and its companion work Cosmography of the Primordial 山 · 海 (2020) from his “Mountains and Seas” series; and (on the third floor) The Shore of Enlightenment 慧岸 (2018) from his “Religions” series; and the left-incomplete, six-panel work Peach Blossom Spring: Arcadia as Unfinishable 未完成的桃花源 (2016) from his “Peach Blossom Spring” series.

The exhibition will be up for over ten weeks and will function as an open research workshop where Bian Kai will collaborate with graduate researchers Nancy CHU from Stanford University and Chuxin ZHANG from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, the curator Deng Feng from the National Art Museum of China, and others to excavate and record the many layers of historical, philosophical, religious, literary and mythological content resident in his extraordinary conjured realities.

To learn more, click here.

Suzuki Sansei (b. 1936), Round Celadon Vase, 1990s, porcelain with celadon glaze, 12½ x 15½ in. (31.8 x 39.4 cm)

Japanese Ceramics: Medieval to Contemporary
Through June 13, 2025
8 East 67th Street, NYC

Thomsen Gallery warmly invites you to visit their new location at 8 East 67th Street for the inaugural exhibition, Japanese Ceramics: Medieval to Contemporary, on view now through June 13.

This special ceramics exhibition is devoted to a key part of the Japanese aesthetic tradition that is as dynamic today as it was 10,000 years ago. The show features an extraordinary range of works, from 14th-century stoneware vessels to contemporary porcelain by acclaimed artists, including two Living National Treasures.

They are open Monday through Friday, 11am to 5pm, so be sure to visit them to experience the timeless beauty and craftsmanship of Japanese ceramics firsthand.

To learn more, click here.

Utagawa Hiroshige 広重 (1797-1858), Lake at Hakone はこねの湖すい, series: Thirty-six Views of Mt Fuji 富士三十六景 (Fuji sanju rokkei), date: 4/1858

This spring, Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints is excited to share their latest arrivals of exquisite prints focusing on 19th and 20th century landscapes after completing a buying trip to Japan!  In appreciation of the British Museum’s special exhibition Hiroshige: Artist of the Open Road (on view through September 7), they will be posting works by Hiroshige and Hiroshige II in the coming weeks, as well as shin hanga works by Kawase Hasui, Oda Kazuma and Kasamatsu Shiro.

A captivating example is a beautifully preserved print by Utagawa Hiroshige seen above. The unmistakable and symmetric cone of Mount Fuji rises clear and strong above the mists as seen from Lake Ashinoko (also known as Hakone Lake) in the resort area of Hakone. Not a soul is in evidence, nor signs of  human habitation, as our view features green hills atop gentle yellow cliffs. This scene is probably almost the same today, as the area remains very lightly developed. Bright yellow clouds lie just beyond Mount Fuji, so this may likely be a morning view.

Kawase Hasui (1883-1957), Morning In Beppu 別府の朝, 1922, series “Selection of Scenes of Japan”

Another thrilling work is this unusually scarce, pre-earthquake design by Kawase Hasui. An informal fish market seems to be taking place, with a man in an apron holding up what looks to be a tuna. Other villagers gather on the beach, probably inspecting wares that were freshly delivered by the nearby fishing vessels. The small boat at left may be a ferry vessel.  The morning sun is still a bright yellow, glowing behind the mountains. As Narazaki wrote: “Villagers and boat passengers gather along a coastal dune. This is the first work by Hasui that deals with a group of people, whose small forms in this composition are beautifully portrayed. A few fishing boats compose the middle ground, the spa town of Beppu and the faraway mountains are silhouetted in a purplish blue.” Beppu is one of Japan’s most famous hot spring resorts, home to more than two thousand onsen. This view seems to be from Mochigahama Beach; although the view from the sand looks much the same, urban sprawl seems to have completely covered most of the flat lands between the mountains and the sea, and this rural view that could be from hundreds of years ago has captured a charmingly pre-industrial scene that has largely disappeared. From a limited edition, verso, numbered “nine” from an edition of 300 prints.

New treasures are added daily, so visit often and uncover something inspiring each time!

To view the latest prints, click here.

A.A.Murakami, Beyond the Horizon, commissioned by and exhibited at M+, Hong Kong, 2024, interactive installation. © A.A.Murakami. Film and photography by Adam Kovář and PETR&Co., model by Ashley Lin. Image courtesy of the artist.

We are delighted to welcome back the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston to Asia Week New York! As one of the largest and most comprehensive art museums in the United States, the MFAH boasts an encyclopedic collection of nearly 80,000 works spanning over 5,000 years and six continents. Situated in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, the museum is a vibrant cultural hub encompassing three gallery buildings, a sculpture garden, visitors center, gift shop, library, restaurants, two art schools, two theaters, and two historic house museums. Renowned for its dynamic exhibitions, innovative programming, and deep commitment to community engagement, the MFAH plays a pivotal role in shaping cultural dialogue both regionally and internationally. Explore their current exhibition, Floating World: A.A.Murakami, and experience the creative energy of the MFAH today!

Floating World: A.A.Murakami
Through September 21, 2025
Members Event: Art-Making Activity for Families, Saturday, May 31, 2-5pm
After Hours Viewing: Art Crowd, Saturday, June 21, 6:30-8:30pm
Concert: Thursday, June 26, 6:30-7:30pm

Visitors to this immersive exhibition, the first U.S. museum show from Tokyo/London-based artist duo A.A.Murakami, encounter immense bubble-like clouds that gracefully float and dissolve into mist; swirling fog rings that radiate from a central tower; and dozens of plasma krypton “lightning” tubes that flicker and click while evoking a field of crickets. A groundbreaking fusion of the technical and the natural, Floating World transports you to an ethereal world of singular experience and scientific spectacle.

Established in 2020 by artists Alexander Groves (born 1983) and Azusa Murakami (born 1984), the A.A.Murakami studio constructs immersive installations that fuse science and art. For the MFAH, the studio introduces distinct spaces that emphasize a creative connection to nature. Marvel at amorphous bubbles and interact with rings of fog as you travel through the environment surrounded by glowing lights.

Floating World comprises five intertwined works that feed seamlessly into each other: Cell, a garden of aluminum forms akin to the volcanic rocks at the bottom of the sea; Neon Sun, which mimics the Northern Lights through an incredible array of plasma tubes; Beyond the Horizon, an ethereal experience that challenges perceptions of reality and technology; Passage, a new installation created specifically for the MFAH; and the hypnotic lightning patterns of Under a Flowing Field.

Be sure to reserve your spot for all the exclusive member events and related programs here.

To learn more and reserve your ticket, click here.

Installation view, Breathing Vessels: Contemporary Ceramics by Yanagihara Mutsuo

Breathing Vessels: Contemporary Ceramics by Yanagihara Mutsuo
Closing Friday, June 6, 2025
18 East 64th Street, Ste 1F, NYC

There’s still time to view the solo exhibition of celebrated ceramic artist Yanagihara Mutsuo, celebrating a career spanning over six decades of contemporary ceramics at Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. before it closes June 6!

Shaped by international influences, especially his time teaching at Alfred University and Scripps College in the U.S. during the 1970s, Yanagihara embraced the American studio craft movement, which deepened his experimental and conceptual approach. Choosing independence over traditional affiliations, he forged a unique voice that fuses Japanese craftsmanship with modernist abstraction.

Now at 90, he continues to innovate with works that blur the line between sculpture and function with works that are playful, imaginative, and deeply rooted in ceramic tradition. This exhibition highlights key series from across his career, from Silver Oribe (Gin Oribe) and Flower-eating vessels (Kashoku) to his recent Exhalation and Inhalation (Kōki Kyūki), showcasing his exploration of botany, anthropomorphism, and abstraction with striking clarity.

To learn more and view the exhibition catalog, click here.

Paul Binnie (Scottish, b. 1967), Travels with the Master: El Capitan (Meishou to no tabi: Erukyapitan), 2025, dai oban tate-e 18 7/8 x 13 1/2 in. (48 x 34.2 cm)

Binnie Meisho
Closing Friday, May 30, 2025
145 West 58th Street, Suite 6D (By Appointment)

Don’t miss Scholten Japanese Art’s special exhibition of landscape woodblock prints and paintings by Paul Binnie, celebrating the release of El Capitan—the newest addition to his acclaimed series Travels with the Master. On view through May 30, this vibrant show offers a rare opportunity to experience Binnie’s masterful interpretations of iconic landscapes.

El Capitan is now the fastest-selling Paul Binnie edition the gallery has ever offered, with nearly 20% of the prints claimed within the first week. Secure your chance to acquire this remarkable work directly from the artist—book your appointment today.

Binnie Meisho features over 70 works, including landscape oil paintings, watercolors, drawings, and woodblock prints, inspired by the artist’s extensive travels and deep appreciation for place.

Explore the full collection of these exceptional prints online here.

Thomas Couture (1815-1879), Richard Morris Hunt, 1849 (detail). Courtesy National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Richard Morris Hunt: In a New Light
May 30 – November 2, 2025
Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Ave. Newport, RI

Richard Morris Hunt (1827-1895) was America’s premier Gilded Age architect, but his effort to transform both the built and the cultural landscapes of America is his greatest legacy. This new exhibition, presented by The Preservation Society of Newport County, will examine Hunt’s achievements in a new light, presenting his lived experience and how it is reflected in his life’s work: a pursuit of national pride in art and architecture.

Hunt believed America needed “culture.” As he witnessed a succession of political uprisings and cultural change in Paris during his days as a student at the École des Beaux-Arts, Hunt also experienced how the arts and building trades communicated national identity. Elevating architecture’s place in his home country became his greatest pursuit. Designing private, public, residential, business, recreational and civic structures resulted in a built environment reflecting the rapid changes of the 19th century.

Hunt was also a collector and aided his wealthy clients in acquiring significant works of fine and decorative art. This act of collecting reflected how he sought to influence the evolution of culture in America’s Gilded Age. He advanced appreciation of and education in the arts by contributing to the founding of museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and professional organizations like the American Institute of Architects.

For the first time, Hunt’s materials from the Library of Congress, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Vermont Historical Society, Bennington Museum (Vt.) and the Preservation Society’s collection – including architectural and interior drawings, his personal sketchbooks and scrapbooks, and intimate family objects and collections – will be exhibited in one location. Together they provide deep insight into Hunt’s approach to culture, private and public collecting, and architectural practice.

To learn more, click here.

A Pair of Wooden Lion and Guardian Dogs, Kamakura period, 13th-14th c., Lion: H:41 cm, Guardian dog: H:39 cm

Osaka International Art 2025
May 31 – June 1, 2025
Fair Hours: Saturday, 10am-8pm; Sunday, 10am-5pm
Osaka-Jo Hall, 3-1 Osakajo, Chuo-ku, Osaka

Hiroshi Yanagi Oriental Art is excited to participate in Osaka International Art 2025, taking place from May 31 to June 1. Held concurrently with the Osaka Expo, this dynamic new art fair offers a rare platform to present their latest collection to a global audience.

Their featured exhibition, Shishi Komainu Plus (Lion and Guardian Dog +), delves into the rich cultural symbolism and artistic evolution of these iconic protective figures. On display will be three exceptional pairs of Shishi Komainu, accompanied by a curated selection of bronze sculptures honoring the diverse forms and meanings of dog imagery in Asian art.

They look forward to seeing you in Osaka soon!

To learn more about the fair, click here.

(Left): O’Keeffe, Todd Webb, Georgia O’Keeffe Pouring Tea at the Ghost Ranch, 1962, vintage gelatin silver print, 10 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.32 cm); (Right): Book page, photo by Yoshiyuki Morioka; Courtesy Seizan Gallery

Special Project
MORIOKA SHOTEN: THE BOOK OF TEA
May 20 – 31, 2025
Talk & Music Performance: Saturday, May 24 at 2pm
525 West 26th St, NYC

Seizan Gallery is pleased to present MORIOKA SHOTEN: THE BOOK OF TEA, a special two-week pop-up, featuring the internationally celebrated Tokyo bookstore Morioka Shoten. This marks the bookstore’s first-ever appearance in New York and takes place in their project room.

Founded in 2015 by Toshiyuki Morioka, Morioka Shoten is a one-of-a-kind bookstore that presents just one title per week, accompanied by related artworks, design objects, and cultural programming. For this special New York edition, Morioka has selected The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzō (also known as Okakura Tenshin, 1863–1913), a seminal work first published in English in 1906. Blending philosophy, aesthetics, and cultural commentary, the book explores the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu) as a lens through which to understand Japanese spirituality, design, and worldview. Over the decades, it has deeply influenced Western artists, writers, and intellectuals—including Georgia O’Keeffe.

Morioka recently traveled to O’Keeffe’s Home and Studio in Abiquiú, New Mexico, where he discovered two copies of The Book of Tea in her personal library, one with handwritten underlines. Photographs taken during his visit, along with a portrait of O’Keeffe by Todd Webb, will be on view alongside a first edition and recent versions of the book.

Installation view, Project Room, Seizan Gallery

Alongside the bookstore, a curated pop-up store explores the culture, history, and aesthetics of the Japanese tea ceremony. Highlights include ceramics by Taro Tabuchi and Keita Matsuyama, “urushi” lacquerware by Eri Asano and Atsuko Nakajima, and a selection of rare vintage objects.

Join them on Saturday, May 24 at 2pm for a special program featuring Morioka’s reflections on his research journey and a live clavichord performance by Akira Uchida, described by Morioka as “an urban alternative to the sounds of the tea house.” Tea will be served by Ippodo Tea from Kyoto.

To learn more and RSVP, click here.