What's Happening in Asian Art...
June 1, 2023
Impressionism to Modernism: The Keithley Collection, September 2022-January 2023, Cleveland Museum of Art, OH. Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Unexpected Dialogues: Japanese Ceramics in New Contexts
June 22, 2023 at 5pm EST (New York)
Because contemporary Japanese ceramics are so versatile, they can stand in comfortable and even intriguing conversation with all kinds of art. Encompassing a wide variety of forms, styles, surface treatments and patterning, their many alluring aspects speak to other artworks from vastly different cultures and time periods. The resulting dialogues enrich our understanding of not only the juxtaposed art but also of the people who have thoughtfully brought them together.
In this ZOOM Gallery Talk, expert panelists show us the many new contexts that they have discovered for contemporary Japanese ceramics. With curator Heather Brown, collectors Nancy and Joe Keithley examine their extraordinary interdisciplinary collection and how it was displayed privately and then publicly at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Curator Mari Hanazato, who was part of the Musée Tomo in Tokyo from its inception, explores how a museum's physical space is integral to sparking unexpected dialogues between artworks and among visitors. New York-based collector Matthew Nimetz expands upon his reflections in the 2019 book, The Allure of Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, and talks about living with a diverse collection built over decades.
PANELISTS:
Heather Lemonedes Brown, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Cleveland Museum of Art, OH
Mari Hanazato, Curator at Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, formerly chief curator at Musée Tomo, Tokyo
Nancy and Joe Keithley, Ohio-based art collectors and museum patrons
Matthew Nimetz, New York-based art collector
moderated by Joan Mirviss
To register for this free event, please click here.
May 31, 2023
(Left) Tea bowl by Shingu Sayaka; (Right) Tea bowl by Tsujimura Yui.
June 5 - July 5, 2023
Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. is delighted to present Contemporary Chadōgu, a summer showcase of contemporary ceramics for the Japanese Tea Ceremony.
Often a meditative and serious subject, this exhibition offers the range of contemporary interpretations and expressions of Japanese ceramic tea utensils in a different light for both life-long and new collectors. The show will feature a selection of 45 tea bowls, water jars, and tea caddies.
May 30, 2023
Emanuel Hahn, Eden Foods, 2020
Artist Talk: Emanuel Hahn
Video Release
Thursday, June 1, 2023
Emanuel Hahn's Koreatown Dreaming series was born out of a sense of urgency to document the stories of Koreatown LA during the Covid-19 pandemic and creeping gentrification. Although Koreatown is increasingly a popular destination for tourists and transplants, many small businesses in Koreatown serving the local population are closing, and long-time establishments and mom-and-pop stores have disappeared without leaving a record of their history and contributions to the city of Los Angeles. Documenting the lives and stories of those who are still surviving, his photo series offers a compelling insight into this entrepreneurial immigrant group.
Hahn, one of the two photographers featured in The Korea Society's Koreatown LA/NY, talks about his career and work.
Click here to receive the viewing link.
May 29, 2023
Join China Institute in a thought-provoking discussion between artist Xuguang Liu, art critic Anthony Haden-Guest, and art historian and curator Zhijian Qian on Liu’s upcoming exhibition Dialogue with Arthur C. Danto at the WhiteBox Art Center.
Xuguang Liu completed his PhD at Beijing’s Tsinghua University with a “Theory of Essence Consciousness,” and subsequently he elaborated this concept during art study visits to Japan. His research was based on a single character from the oldest Chinese character tradition, marks of “bu” (卜) found on Chinese bone writing. On the basis of this character he created works, often using large sheets of rice paper, on which he drew a dense web of “bu” (卜) marks, drawn with oily earthy work ink and iron dust he made himself.
To reserve a spot, click here.
May 26, 2023
Kamisaka Sekka, Hydrangeas, from the series “World of Things (Momoyogusa),” 1904-1915. Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Fischer Fund. The Art Institute of Chicago
The Arranged Flower: Ikebana and Flora in Japanese Prints will be on view at the Art Institute of Chicago until July 9, 2023.
The artful display of flowers in Japanese culture known as ikebana (ike means “to arrange,” and bana or hana means “flowers”) likely originated with arrangements dedicated to Buddhist deities in temples, where the presentations sought to capture the beauty of paradise.
Japan’s first formal school of flower arranging developed in the 15th century, and ikebana remains a prominent and disciplined manifestation of a larger focus on nature in Japanese culture. The practice emphasizes the lines formed by the placement of the leaves, branches, and twigs and, when successful, conveys a sense of harmony among the plants, their vessels, and their settings.
The prints in this presentation largely date to the Edo period (1615–1868), when an intense interest in botany flourished hand-in-hand with ikebana at all levels of society. The arrangements shown are formal and informal, ordinary, and fantastic. What they share is an appreciation for natural beauty often overlooked in everyday life.
Mimasu Daigorō IV as Umeōmaru (right panel); Nakamura Utaemon IV as Matsuōmaru (center panel); and Jitsukawa Ensaburō as Sakuramaru (left panel), 1851, Konishi Hirosada (also called Gosōtei Hirosada) (Japanese, active 1826-1863, died c. 1865) Published by Daijin, Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Scandal & Virtue: Staging Kabuki in Osaka can be seen at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through July 24.
This installation examines the way Kabuki actor prints in Japan during the Edo period (1615—1868) functioned as conduits of fame and scandal. Explore the role of Kabuki actors as celebrities, the influence of the government, and fan culture. Grounded in Osaka’s actor print and Kabuki fan culture, the installation interweaves prints produced in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to explore topics of censorship and fandom as well as tales of banishment and rivalry.
In 2008, Jack Shear gifted the museum 525 Osaka prints increasing opportunities for nuanced discussions about the unique print culture in Osaka during the Edo period. A selection of images from this gift alongside other actor prints from the museum’s collection encourages connecting with Edo period Kabuki fandom and celebrity culture by drawing parallels with contemporary fan culture.
May 25, 2023
Western Paradise (Taima Mandala). Japan, 1600s, Edo period. Ink, color, and gold on silk. Gift in honor of Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes by John Davis Hatch, 1971.64 image height: 43.25 in, 109.8550 cm; image width: 37 in, 93.9800 cm; overall height: 47 in, 119.38 cm; overall width: 38 3/4 in, 98.425 cm
Insight: Taking Care–Handling and Storing the Arts of Asia Collections
May 30, 2023 6 - 7 pm
Join Sarah Melching, Silber Director of Conservation, and Hyonjeong Han, Joseph de Heer Curator of Asian Art, to celebrate AAPI Month and learn more about how the delicate, centuries-old paintings and calligraphy on silk and paper and other materials in the Arts of Asia collection are treated, handled, and stored.
Curators and conservators work together to keep the museum’s artworks safe, authentic, and in tip top condition, both on and off the walls. Get a glimpse at the methods, special tools, and careful techniques that ensure a long life for these special objects.
This event takes place both onsite in Sharp Auditorium and online. Buy onsite tickets or virtual tickets today.
Last chance to see:
Southwestern Iran, Khamseh Lion Rug, 1800's. Hand-knotted wool pile, wool warp and weft; 67 x 76n inches; Private Collection, courtesy Denver Art Museum.
Denver Art Museum:
May 29 is the last day of Rugged Beauty: Antique Carpets from Western Asia. The exhibition opens a window into the artistic and utilitarian innovations of weavers, domestic consumption, and the cross-cultural exchanges between present-day Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) from the 1500s to the 1900s.
Isohi Setsuko, High Mountain, 2019, madake bamboo and rattan, 14 x 16 x 8.75 in. Courtesy of TAI Modern.
Charles B. Wang Center
The Splendor of Bamboo: Japanese Contemporary Baskets concludes on May 31, 2023. The twenty-seven baskets on display, on loan from TAI Modern reflect the longstanding basket-weaving traditions and modern transformations of Japanese basketry with advanced plaiting skills and experimentation with new shapes.
May 24, 2023
Songtsam Lodge Tacheng, one of the luxury boutique hotels that form the Songtsam Group, the sponsor of Asia Week New York 2023.
Songtsam Lodge Tacheng is located between the Yangtze and Mekong Rivers and is only 3-4hour drive from Shangri-La. Nestled in a tranquil village inhabited by a Tibetan and Naxi community, Tacheng enjoys a comfortable climate boasting one of the region’s most fertile valleys. The journey down the Mekong River from Meili to Cizhong, and finally to Tacheng, is simply incredible. Within 250km the road winds through vastly different landscapes descending from high to low altitudes resulting in cooler to warmer climates. Songtsam Lodge Tacheng enjoys a comfortable climate and boasts the region’s most fertile land. The spacious and cozy rooms in the main building face beautiful rice fields and mountains in the distance. The lodge is elegantly designed to showcase fine Chinese art; large windows and balconies enable guests to take in the stunning rural scenery.
Songtsam Lodge Tacheng rice paddy view
The climate yields an abundance of fruits and nuts year-round, growing alongside terraced fields of rice, wheat and grapes. Meals in Songtsam Lodge Tacheng are cooked by local chefs, and benefit from a rich supply of locally grown organic vegetables, as well as wild honey, fish and ham that might just be the best in China. This area, richly endowed by nature, is a famous land of plenty in the northwest of Yunnan province. Natural conditions in Tacheng produce a more natural and seasonal diet. In general, Songtsam Lodge Tacheng’s meals are healthy in a home-made style which maximizes the original flavor of the ingredients.
Songtsam Lodge Tacheng, view from the dining room.
May 23, 2023
Chen Duxi, Comtemplate 持颐 #70, 2023, Mineral pigment on silk, Framed, 9 7/8 x 26 3/8 in.
A Hint of Coolness
May 26 - September 2, 2023
at Fu Qiumeng Fine Art
Lance Letscher, Parrots under the bridge, 2023, collage, 20.00 x 17.00 in.
Figure 8: New Works by Lance Letscher
May 26 - June 24, 2023
at TAI Modern
The group exhibition at Fu Qiumeng Fine Art, “A Hint of Coolness,” draws inspiration from a recurring theme in traditional Chinese poetry that celebrates the pleasure of experiencing coolness during the scorching summer months.
The show features a carefully selected array of works by celebrated artists such as Arnold Chang, Michael Cherney, Chen Duxi, Fung Ming Chip, Tai Xiangzhou, Tang Ke, C.C.Wang, Wang Mansheng, Yau Wing Fung, and Zhang Xiaoli.
The exhibition will be divided into two parts, with the first running from May 26th to July 9th, and the second from July 11th to September 2nd.
Opening reception: Friday, May 26, 6-8pm
"Figure 8: New Works by Lance Letscher" at TAI Modern in Santa Fe from May 26, 2023–June 24, 2023, is a solo exhibition by renowned collage artist, Lance Letscher.
Letscher’s world is one filled with color and detail, allowing the viewer to enter a piece and stay a while. As Erin Keever, writer from Austin, Texas, notes, “These collages demand intense and prolonged looking.”
Inspired by Elliot Smith’s album of the same name, Figure 8 showcases the dense overlapping compositions and the witty and poetic juxtaposition of images that has become a signature in Letscher’s work.
The pieces in Figure 8 explore the artist’s ongoing interest in texture, color, and composition through ornithological and environmental imagery, inspired by a trip to the Texas coast. In discussing his recent work, Letscher said, “I’ve really tried to knuckle down and make the cutting more expressive and more intricate.”
Opening reception: Friday, May 26, 2023, 5-7pm.
In 2017, Letscher was the subject of an illuminating documentary chronicling his life and studio practice called “The Secret Life of Lance Letscher,” directed by Sandra Adair. TAI Modern will host a free screening of this documentary at the Violet Crown Santa Fe, on Thursday, May 25, 6 – 7:30pm, and will be followed by a Q&A with both Adair and Letscher.
May 22, 2023
Wu Hufan (1894-1968), Monastery in the Autumn Mountains, 1950. Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper 40 5/8 x 22 3/4 in (103.19 x 57.79 cm.) Lent to the Denver Art Museum by Robert and Lisa Kessler
The second rotation of Fantastic Brush: Twentieth-Century Chinese Ink Art from the Robert and Lisa Kessler Collection is now on view.
The 23 ink paintings featured in the exhibition are lent by the Denver-based collectors Mr. and Mrs. Kessler. Works on view showcase some of the most important artists in twentieth-century China, including Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, Wu Changshuo, and Wu Guanzhong. Some traveled to Europe or to Japan to study Japanese and Western art, and others never went abroad. All were well versed in traditional Chinese ink art and found their own unique interpretation of what it means to produce ink art in the twentieth century.
After 1949 and the establishment of the communist government some artists left mainland China, moving to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and elsewhere. For those who stayed on the mainland, their art and lives were significantly altered by the political climate and reflected their response to the larger socioeconomic seismic shifts they witnessed during their lifetime.
May 18, 2023
Kaori Teraoka, b. 1995, [Rhythm 4/3 - 4/6], 2023, Mashi Hemp Paper, Dyed Mud Pigment, Natural Mineral Pigment, H23 7/8 x W35 7/8 x D1 1/8 in, H60.6 x W91 x D3 cm, Copyright The Artist, Courtesy of Ippodo Gallery
Saturday, May 20, 2023
Join ARTnews and Madison Avenue’s galleries for the Madison Avenue Spring Gallery Walk. This free event invites the public to visit participating galleries, view their spring exhibitions and attend expert talks led by artists and curators on Madison Avenue & side streets from East 57 to East 86 St.
For more information and to book talks, click here.
Scheduled Gallery Talks are quite popular and are often booked to capacity. Reservations are not required for visits to participating galleries during times when they are not hosting scheduled gallery talks.
Ippodo Gallery, 32 East 67th Street, 10am-6pm
“Pantha Rei: Everything Flows” presents selected washi artworks by five Japanese artists working with traditional paper in diverse modes.
Gallery Talk: 2pm: The Gallery Talk includes a deep dive into the artist’s statements, process, and impact on the contemporary Kogei world.
Ganesha Enthroned (detail), Kangra, 1st half 19th century, opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper, Courtesy of Kapoor Galleries
Kapoor Galleries, 34 East 67 Street, Floor 3, 11am-3pm
“Divine Gestures: Channels of Enlightenment” features rare sculptures and paintings from India, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, China and the ancient region of Gandhara.
Gallery Talk: 1pm: We’ll explore how iconography across artistic mediums channels and embodies the energies of specific deities.
Carolyn Swiszcz, Night Laundry, 2023, acryllic, monoprint, and collage on paper, 29 x 60 in / 73.7 x 152.4 cm; Courtesy: MIYAKO YOSHINAGA, New York
Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery, 24 East 64 Street, 11am-6pm
“Carolyn Swiszcz: Burgers & Bonsai"
Gallery Talk: 2pm & 4pm: American artist Carolyn Swiszcz talks about her inspiration from her surroundings in Midwest suburbia. Using various printmaking techniques, she transforms banal buildings, shop signs, and park trees into modest yet vibrant subjects in her work.
Matsushima Hakkō, attributed (1895–1937), Twittering Birds, circa 1932, two-panel folding screen, ink, mineral pigments, shell powder, and gold wash on silk, 67¾ x 66¼ in. (172 x 168.5 cm.) Courtesy of Thomsen Gallery
Thomsen Gallery, 9 East 63 Street, Floor 2, 11am-5pm
“Japanese Art 1910-1940” Paintings and works of art from this period illustrate how the Japanese art market changed from the previous export-oriented output to a focus on the domestic market, incorporating Western influences.
Gallery Talk: 11am, 2pm, 3pm, & 4pm: Join us for a curator’s tour of the works on view.
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