Installation view, COAL + ICE, Asia Society

As we head into August, why not spend these late summer days exploring some fascinating art exhibitions in and around New York City at our Asia Week New York member museums listed below? There’s a great mix of newly opened shows and those that are about to close, so be sure to catch them all in the coming weeks!

Asia Society
COAL + ICE
Closing August 11, 2024

Closing this coming Sunday, this immersive photography and video exhibition brings together the works of more than 37 photographers and artists from China and around the world that visualize the causes and consequences of the climate crisis. While the exhibit brings to life the environmental and human costs of climate change, it also highlights the innovative solutions that provide hope for a more sustainable future.

To learn more, click here.

Kondō Takahiro, Reflection: TK Self Portrait, 2010., glazed porcelain, 19 1/16 × 6 3/16 in. (48.5 × 15.7 cm), Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz Collection, © Kondō Takahiro, photo by Richard P. Goodbody and John Morgan; Courtesy Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn Museum
Museum Spotlight: Porcelains in the Mist: The Kondō Family of Ceramicists
Through December 8, 2024

Porcelains in the Mist brings together 61 pieces that celebrate the Kondō family’s innovations and talents. Their early creations range from freehand-painted vases to pure-white jars. Most of the works on view are by the younger ceramicist, Kondō Takahiro (b. 1958), who invented the technique of “silver mist,” or gintekisai, as seen in his self-portrait sculpture above. Describing this effect as “water born from fire,” he often pairs his mists with dramatic shapes and textures.

To learn more, click here.

Courtesy Korean Cultural Center NY

Korean Cultural Center NY
Jinhee Lee: Boundaries of Existence
Closing August 17, 2024

Boundaries of Existence by Jinhee Lee, professor in the Department of Stage Design at the Korea National University of Arts and award-winning costume designer of films and Korean dramas, features stage design pieces from Lee’s career since 1999, traditional Korean costume designs for film, and her sculptures, paintings, and media art. In this exhibition, Lee combines sculptural characteristics with three-dimensional media to emphasize a dynamic and immersive experience. Her works embody a free and bold aesthetic sense, reflecting Korea’s unique nature-friendly philosophy.

To learn more, click here.

Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co.
Through October 20, 2024

This newly opened exhibition features the personal collection of Edward C. Moore, the creative force who led Tiffany & Co. to unparalleled originality and success during the second half of the 19th century. His collection of decorative arts were of exceptional quality and in various media, from Japanese baskets to metalwork from the Islamic world, and were a great source of inspiration for Moore and the designers he supervised.  The show features more than 180 pieces from his collection that were donated to the Museum, alongside 70 magnificent silver objects designed and created at Tiffany & Co. under his direction.

To learn more, click here.

Landscape (detail), Hosokawa Rinkoku (1782–1842), Japan, Edo period, 1835, handscroll, ink and color on paper, Freer Gallery of Art Collection, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, The Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, F2021.4.11a–c; Courtesy National Museum of Asian Art

National Museum of Asian Art
Imagined Neighbors: Japanese Visions of China, 1680–1980
Closing September 15, 2024

Imagined Neighbors presents Japanese artworks from the Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, which was gifted to the Museum between 2018 and 2022 and is arguably the largest and most comprehensive group of Japanese literati works outside of Japan. The paintings and calligraphy in this exhibition fuse reality with imagination and remain important to understanding the continuing, complex engagement of Japanese artists with China, to them both a real and an imagined place.

For learn more, click here.

Artist/maker unknown, Astrological Sign of Capricorn, c. 1810-1820, Indian; Courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Mythical Creatures: China and the World
Through June 1, 2025

This exhibition explores the theme of diversity by bringing together mythical creatures from China as well as across Asia and Europe. Representations of paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, and contemporary toy bricks, dating from the 1000s to today illustrate how these fantastical beasts, although sometimes perceived as the same, are quite different.

To learn more, click here.

The Great Elephant Migration: A Coexistence Story, The Breakers; Courtesy The Preservation Society of Newport County

The Preservation Society of Newport County
The Great Elephant Migration: A Coexistence Story
Through September 6, 2024

Come face-to-face with 26 life-size Indian elephant sculptures as they parade across the back lawn of The Breakers this summer. The Great Elephant Migration is an outdoor art exhibition presented by Elephant Family USA in collaboration with Dodie Kazanjian of Art & Newport and various contemporary artists. It promotes human-wildlife coexistence as a solution to biodiversity loss. Each elephant is also available for purchase with proceeds going towards non-governmental organizations performing conservation work around the world.

To learn more, click here.

Installation View, Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now, Rubin Museum of Art

Rubin Museum of Art
Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now
Through October 6, 2024

These are the last few months to experience this Museum-wide exhibition before The Rubin closes their physical location and transition into a global museum model on October 6, 2024. With over 30 contemporary artists, many from the Himalayan region and diaspora and others inspired by Himalayan art and cultures, this show contemplates and celebrates what Himalayan art means now inviting new ways of encountering traditional Himalayan art.

To learn more, click here.

Installation View, Year of the Dragon, Yale University Art Gallery

Yale University Art Gallery
Year of the Dragon
Through November 10, 2024

This exhibition celebrates this Year of the Dragon with a presentation of nearly 30 artworks spanning from the 17th century to the present day.  The objects on view, which are largely drawn from their collection, feature dragons on folding screens, paintings, textiles, ceramics, ivory, and woodblock prints. Taking inspiration from East Asian history, folklore, and myth, these works demonstrate a long, complex, and continuing artistic tradition around this fantastical creature.

To learn more, click here.

Visitors in the immersive Seven Jeweled Mountain exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art

Virtual Lunchtime Lecture: Making Into the Seven Jeweled Mountain
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
12:00 – 1:00pm
Free on Zoom (registration required)

Join the Cleveland Museum of Art staff next Tuesday for a quick bite of art history! Learn about their current immersive experience, Into the Seven Jeweled Mountain, where viewers are surrounded by vivid animations inspired by a 19th century folding screen that illustrates the mountain’s striking scenery. This ten-panel screen, Seven Jeweled Mountain, is on view just outside the experience exclusively at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Named Seven Jeweled Mountain from a local legend claiming seven different kinds of jewels—gold, silver, pearls, coral, seashells, agate, and crystal—were buried in there, this natural wonder gained popularity after Im Hyeong-soo (1514–1547) published a detailed travelogue about his hiking experience. Pulling from his experience, viewers are taken through a virtual hike amid swiftly changing weather, unique geological features, and breathtaking vistas in this immersive display, offering a rare opportunity to discover a place beyond reach. 

During this lunchtime lecture, Sooa McCormick, Korea Foundation Curator of Korean Art, introduces her research on the historical accounts used in the content of this groundbreaking exhibition, and Jane Alexander, chief digital information officer, provides a rare window into the production process for immersive digital experiences and a glimpse into what’s next.

To learn more and register for this informative talk on Zoom, click here.

Standing Screen, Li Ailian, 19th century, Gift of Mrs. Elizabeth M. Smith

The Eaddo & Peter Kiernan Lecture
China and Newport: A Journey through Two Centuries
Tuesday, August 6th at 6pm EDT
Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI
Free in-person or via Zoom

Join The Preservation Society of Newport County for China and Newport: A Journey through Two Centuries, one of their annual Eaddo & Peter Kiernan Lectures next Tuesday, August 6th. Their Curatorial Research Fellow, Dani Zhang, will discuss her exploration of Chinese artwork and objects, many produced for a Western market, held in the collection of The Preservation Society of Newport County. Through a close examination of materials, forms and motifs, she will illuminate the nuanced relationship between Chinese art, American collecting and display practices from the China Trade as part of the Gilded Age.

Many of these works were showcased in their groundbreaking exhibition at Rosecliff, The Celestial City: Newport and China, which has just been honored by the American Association for State and Local History with its Award of Excellence. This prestigious award is a tribute to the thorough and thoughtful work of their Curator of Collections, Dr. Nicole Williams, and staff researchers who uncovered untold stories of Newport’s history: the contributions of Chinese and Chinese American individuals to life in Newport from the 18th century through the Gilded Age. We congratulate them on this great honor!

To learn more and register for the lecture, click here.

Installation view, Master Brushworks, Kapoor Galleries

This week’s Gallery Spotlight shines upon the multigenerational family business, Kapoor Galleries. Founded in 1975 with a passion for preserving and celebrating the rich tapestry of Asian art, this long-standing gallery specializes in Indian & Himalayan Arts. It has been and continues to be an invaluable resource for museum quality works of art for art enthusiasts, collectors, and scholars alike. Notable for its breadth and depth, the collection has seen pieces accessioned by prestigious institutions, further solidifying the gallery’s status in the art world.

Looking ahead, Kapoor Galleries remains dedicated to exploring new dimensions in the world of Asian art. Whether through innovative digital experiences, collaborative projects, or educational initiatives, the gallery continues to push the boundaries, ensuring that the beauty and wisdom of Asian art remain accessible and relevant to future generations.

Be sure to catch their current exhibit, Master Brushworks, featuring recent work by Tibetan artist Pema Rinzin, in dialogue with notable pieces from the gallery’s collection before it closes August 6th.  The exhibition highlights the intricacy of ancient Tibetan artistic practices while illustrating the lineage of tradition through the contemporary pieces of Rinzin.

To learn more about this exhibition, click here for the online catalog.

Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858), Plum Estate, Kameido (Kameido Umeyashiki), no. 30 from 100 Famous Views of Edo, 11th month of 1857, woodblock print, 14 3/16 × 9 1/4 in. (36 × 23.5 cm), Brooklyn Museum; Gift of Anna Ferris, 30.1478.30. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo (feat. Takashi Murakami)
Closing August 4, 2024
Teen Pop-Up Talk, Wednesday, July 31, 2-3pm (free with admission)
Scent Tours: Hiroshige’s Seasons, Thursday, August 1, 6:30-8pm ($35)
Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing and Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery, 5th Fl.

This is the last week to catch one of Brooklyn Museum’s greatest treasures—Utagawa Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo — before the exhibit closes this Sunday, August 4th!

Experience 19th century Edo (now Tokyo) through the eyes of revered Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige. From flowering gardens to picnics in the park, from summer rainstorms to fireworks over the water—you’ll be transported through space and time, brought into the intimacies of a city by an artist who loved it well.

Contemporary artist Takashi Murakami also created his own set of wondrous, fantastical paintings directly inspired by Hiroshige’s prints. These works invite you to reconsider Hiroshige’s world and his contributions to global art history.

This exhibition marks the first time in more than two decades that the prints are on public display. They have been stored in the dark to preserve their vibrancy, so see them while you can!

Also join the exhibition’s two public programs this week: A Teen Pop-Up Talk on Wednesday, July 31st and Scent Tour on Thursday, August 1st!

For more details and to view videos of the exhibition, click here.

 

Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co.
Through October 20, 2024
The Met Fifth Avenue, Gallery 199

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s newly opened exhibition, Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co., features the personal collection of Edward C. Moore, the creative force who led Tiffany & Co. to unparalleled originality and success during the second half of the 19th century.

Throughout his life, Moore amassed a vast collection of decorative arts of exceptional quality and in various media, from Japanese ceramics and baskets to metalwork from the Islamic world. These objects were a source of inspiration for Moore, a noted silversmith in his own right, and the designers he supervised at Tiffany & Co.

Featuring more than 180 extraordinary examples from his collection, which was donated to the Museum, the exhibition also includes 70 magnificent silver objects designed and created at Tiffany & Co. under his direction and seldom seen examples from a dozen private and public lenders. A defining figure in the history of American silver, Moore played a pivotal role in shaping the legendary Tiffany design aesthetic and the evolution of The Met’s collection.

Accompanying this illuminating exhibit are many public events, including talks by Museum curators from the Japanese and Islamic Departments, scheduled throughout this summer and fall. For the detailed calendar, click here.

To learn more and view a video of the exhibit, click here.