Sunday Art: Lunar New Year, 2022; Photo: Elena Olivo; Courtesy Brooklyn Museum

Join the many celebrations at our local AWNY museums and institutions in the coming weeks as we welcome the Lunar Year of the Snake! Enjoy an array of activities, from captivating lion dances and creative art-making sessions to engaging storytelling and lively music performances—there’s something to delight visitors of all ages!

As we transition from the vibrant and dynamic energy of the Year of the Dragon, the Lunar New Year in 2025 ushers in the wise and intuitive spirit of the Snake, the sixth animal in the zodiac cycle. Celebrated across East Asia and beyond, the Lunar New Year marks the beginning of a new zodiac cycle and is a time for honoring traditions, reuniting with family, and inviting good fortune. A symbol of transformation and wisdom, the Snake inspires opportunities for personal growth and meaningful change.

Celebrate this auspicious New Year by joining the exciting events hosted by our local AWNY member museums listed below!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Lunar New Year Festival: The Year of the Snake
Saturday, January 25, 12-5pm
Free with Museum admission

Celebrate the New Year with performances, interactive activities, and artist-led workshops for all ages! Admission is free for Members and kids under 12. For New York state residents and NY, NJ, and CT students, the amount you pay is up to you.

To learn more, click here.

Brooklyn Museum
Weekend Art: Sunday Art Hang
Sunday, January 26, 2-4pm
Free with Museum admission

Bring the family to this free drop-in program in collaboration with Cool Culture where you’ll create art inspired by the collection and enjoy a lion dance performance by the Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club at 3 pm.

To learn more, click here.

They are also offering 20% off tickets to their current Solid Gold exhibition to all visitors! Just use the special discount code: LUNAR25 (expiration date: Feb 10, 2025) when purchasing.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Japan Society
Oshogatsu: New Year’s Celebration
Sunday, January 26, 11:30am-3:30pm
Ticketed

Celebrate the New Year Japanese-style with a taiko drum performance, hands-on calligraphy, lion dancing, and more! Japanese boxed lunches and snacks will be available for purchase on-site from BentOn.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Asia Society
Lunar New Year at the Leo Bar
Friday January 31, 5:30-8pm
Ticketed

Welcome the New Year in the Garden Court with snacks, a Lunar New Year cocktail and mocktail, fortune telling, and a lion dance performance! A ticket includes one drink, followed by a cash bar.

To purchase tickets, click here.

China Institute
Lunar New Year Festival 2025
Sunday, February 2, 2-5pm
Ticketed

Experience a once-in-a-lifetime cultural extravaganza as they bring the enchantment of Prince Kung’s Palace Museum—a national first-class museum and one of the most prestigious cultural treasures of China—to the heart of New York City. Join an afternoon of interactive workshops, music performances and more for all ages.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Charles B. Wang Center
Sangjaru: Korean Folk Gypsy Swing
Thursday, February 20 at 6pm
Ticketed

Experience an exhilarating performance by Sangjaru, the dynamic Korean folk fusion band that masterfully blends traditional Korean music with the vibrant rhythms of gypsy swing, funk, rock, and improvisation.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Courtesy The Korea Society

Cho In Ho | In the Manner of Magnificence
January 23 – April 18, 2025
Opening Reception: January 23, 5-7pm (kindly RSVP)
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Fl, NYC

The Korea Society is delighted to present their latest exhibition, Cho In Ho | In the Manner of Magnificence. Rooted in the rich tradition of ink painting, this exhibition explores the genre of landscape, which extends beyond simple depictions of nature. Landscape painting embodies diverse meanings, dimensions, and concepts, serving as a profound expression of an artist’s perspective.

Cho In Ho masterfully reinterprets the landscape tradition, offering fresh perspectives through multiple and dynamic viewpoints. Using only muk (black ink), he captures recognizable locations in present-day Korea, reconstructing and transforming his observations into a captivating visual journey through space and time.

To learn more and RSVP to the reception, click here.

The Korea Society Gallery welcomes visitors by appointment only. Appointments must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. To arrange a visit, please contact [email protected].

Tiffany & Co (1837–present), The Magnolia Vase, 1893, silver, enamel, gold, and opals, 30 7/8 x 19 1/2 in. (78.4 x 49.5 cm) overall; Gift of Mrs. Winthrop Atwill, 1899, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Asia Week New York in Partnership with The Winter Show Presents
Art and the Great Expositions: The Worldwide Web of Taste, 1876-1904
Saturday, January 25 at 3pm
In-person event, Park Avenue Armory, Board of Officers Room
643 Park Avenue, NYC

We are thrilled to once again partner with The Winter Show to present a fascinating in-person discussion with an esteemed panel of experts. Art and the Great Expositions: The World Wide Web of Taste, 1876–1904 will assess the long-term aesthetic impact that World Fairs had on American decorative art and painting during the Gilded Age and on early twentieth century decorative arts and paintings, including the part played by Japanese art and crafts.

With a focus on works displayed in Philadelphia, Paris, Chicago, and St. Louis, the distinguished experts on the panel–moderated by Dessa Goddard, U.S. Head of the Asian Art Group, Senior Vice President of Bonhams–will discuss the influence of Paris on American painting, the impact of Japanese arts and crafts on American decorative arts, especially Tiffany, and how the expositions served as a background for the transformation in 19th century painting.

Panelists:

Annette Blaugrund, Curator and former director (and first woman director) of the National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts (1997-2007)

Joe Earle, Global Senior Consultant for Japanese Art at Bonhams

Medill Harvey, Ruth Bigelow Wriston Curator of American Decorative Arts and Manager of the Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mark D. Mitchell, Holcombe T. Green Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture at the Yale University Art Gallery

Moderate by Dessa Goddard, U.S. Head of the Asian Art Group, Senior Vice President and Head, Business Strategy for Chinese Paintings, and Senior Specialist for Chinese Art at Bonhams

This year’s The Winter Show runs from January 24 to February 2 in the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. Among the many oustanding exhibitors are Asia Week New York members Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Joan B Mirviss LTD and Thomsen Gallery.  We look forward to welcoming you soon to this celebration of art, antiques and culture!

To purchase The Winter Show tickets, click here.

Installation view of Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (March 2, 2024–January 11, 2026)

Zoom Webinar
Contemporary Japanese Metalwork in the Shirley Z Johnson Collection
Monday, January 20, 2025 at 5pm (EST)

Japanese Art Society of America is pleased to host their upcoming live Zoom webinar Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork from the Shirley Z. Johnson Collection, presented by Dr. Sol Jung on January 20. The talk will examine examples of contemporary Japanese metalwork currently on view in the exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art.

Contemporary Japanese metalworking breathes life into traditional methods that have been passed down and practiced over generations. The history of Japanese metalworking evolved over two millennia, through cross-cultural exchange and internal innovation. Techniques unique to Japan flourished as metalworkers created armaments, Buddhist ornaments, and vessels used in Japanese tea practice.

In this talk, Dr. Sol Jung will examine examples of contemporary Japanese metalwork currently on view in the Smithsonian’s exhibition. The exhibition focuses on the technique of tankin (鍛金; hammering) through metalworks that came to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art as part of the bequest of the late Shirley Z. Johnson (1940–2021), a distinguished lawyer, philanthropist, and former board member of the NMAA. Shirley Z. Johnson’s passion for contemporary Japanese metalwork and her visionary gift have made the National Museum of Asian Art home to the largest collection of such works in the United States.

Sol Jung joined the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in 2021 as the inaugural Shirley Z. Johnson assistant curator of Japanese art. She oversees the museum’s collection of prehistoric to contemporary Japanese ceramics, lacquerware, metalwork and textiles. Jung received her B.A. with distinction in History of Art at the University of Pennsylvania, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Art and Archaeology from Princeton University.

To register for this Zoom webinar, click here.

Courtesy Japan Society

There’s still time to catch two exhibitions at the Japan Society–Acky Bright: Studio Infinity and Bunraku Backstage–before they close on January 19. Also meet Japanese illustrator Acky Bright for a rare talk and signing in celebration of the closing weekend of his exhibition Acky Bright: Studio Infinity.

Acky Bright: Studio Infinity
Artist Talk: Saturday, January 18 at 4pm
Closing: Sunday, January 19, 2025

The Japan Society is honored to showcase the work of designer and manga artist Acky Bright. The exhibition features the artist’s two new painting series, KBK-18 and Ah-Un, that each draw inspiration from traditional Japanese art and theater. Acky Bright is celebrated across Japan and the U.S. for his signature kawakakkoii (cute and cool) characters. His collaborations with music groups such as YOASOBI, ASTERISM, and Perfume, as well as global brands like McDonald’s, Hasbro, DC Comics, BMW, Meta, and Netflix, have earned him a devoted following that seamlessly bridges high art and pop culture.

During the closing event on January 18, attendees will be able to purchase Acky Bright: Studio Infinity exhibition merchandise and copies of Acky Bright’s B/W artbook or bring books from home for the signing session following the talk.

To learn more and purchase tickets, click here.

Bunraku Backstage
Closing: Sunday, January 19, 2025

Alongside the live bunraku performances held at Japan Society this fall, Bunraku Backstage offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the theater. Bunraku, a dramatic art integrating performances of skilled puppetry, shamisen music, and narration, has evolved since the early 17th century in Japan and is recognized by UNESCO as a “masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.” Showcasing actual working puppets, costumes, props, and instruments on loan from the National Bunraku Theatre, Osaka, in celebration of their 40th anniversary, this exhibition unveils the collaboration that goes into staging a bunraku production. Unexpected multimedia installations by contemporary artists—Sugimoto Hiroshi, Tamura Yuichiro, and Basil Twist—all of which re-interpret and revive the artistic language of bunraku, explore the theater’s ongoing inspiration and influence.

To learn more, click here.

Okado Yuji, Box with Design in Maki-e “Meadow”, 1994, Paulownia, gold powder, white-lipped pearl oyster, and hemp-cloth reinforcement, h. 5 5/8 x w. 9 1/2 x d. 4 3/4 in. (14 x 24 x 12 cm)

Exhibition at Bergdorf Goodman
January 17 – April 13, 2025
754 5th Avenue, 7th Fl, NYC

Onishi Gallery, specializing in Japanese art in NYC since 2005, is pleased to showcase contemporary works that celebrate traditional craftsmanship and innovation in this collaboration exhibition with NYC’s most prestigious retail store Bergdorf Goodman and Salon Art + Design, the leading platform for collectible design and art produced by Sanford L. Smith + Associates.

The exhibit will highlight the work of leading galleries who participated in Salon’s most recent edition in New York City including Onishi Gallery, Galerie Gabriel, J. Lohmann Gallery, Liz O’Brien, Verso and Room 57 Gallery, offering visitors an immersive experience that blurs the boundaries of design, art and lifestyle. The exhibition will take place on the 7th floor of Bergdorf Goodman’s Home department from January 17 – April 13, 2025.

Don’t miss this unique event, where art, craftsmanship, and beauty come together to inspire and captivate in the heart of New York City!

Courtesy Korean Cultural Center New York

Creatives in Motion
January 14 – 18, 2025
Atrium, 1st Floor

Dive into the vibrant world of emerging Korean talent at Creatives in Motion, a dynamic collaboration between the Korean Cultural Center New York and the Korea National University of Arts. This five-day cultural showcase, starting January 14, spotlights the next generation of Korean artists while building bridges with New York’s creative community.

Experience an inspiring lineup, including exhibitions by three visionary artists, exclusive networking opportunities, and unforgettable moments like the opening night performance by acclaimed pianist Jiyeong Mun. Don’t miss the chance to connect directly with the artists during a compelling artist talk.

Join them to celebrate innovation, culture, and the power of creative collaboration!

To learn more and view the full program of events, click here.

Courtesy Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.

Visions of a Blue Moon: Contemporary Arita Porcelain by Terauchi Shinji
Opening Reception with Artist: Thursday, January 16, 5-7pm
January 14 – February 10, 2025

Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd is pleased to present a collection of new works by Terauchi Shinji, celebrating the bold and innovative spirit of the Riso Kiln from Arita. This kiln honors the storied tradition of Japanese porcelain while embracing a forward-thinking vision, asking, “What’s next?”

Japanese porcelain originated in the late 16th century near Arita, giving rise to diverse kiln styles. By the mid-17th century, Arita gained prominence for its vibrant overglaze decorations, known in Europe as Imari ware. Building on this rich history of global cultural exchange, the Riso Kiln, led by Terauchi Shinji, emerges as a modern innovator. Riso porcelain blends timeless craftsmanship with contemporary art, creating works that are both rooted in tradition and boldly forward-looking.

In his New York debut collection of new Arita porcelain, Terauchi reimagines the moon and our celestial universe – both of which are inspiring and universal symbols in both Western and Japanese culture – into tiered vessels that unstack into functional eating utensils. Dedicated to natural materials such as clay, silver, gold, cobalt, his work celebrates the evolving essence of Arita ware.

Inspired by planets, comets, and moons, Terauchi’s pieces captivate with their contemporary flair, diverse textures, and vibrant colors, each evoking a unique aspect of the moon’s character. Through intricate patterns and dynamic forms, he pushes the boundaries of form and function. These sculptural vessels are not only visually striking but also practical, ideal for serving Osechi, traditional Japanese New Year dishes.

The exhibition catalog features an insightful new essay by Professor Arakawa Masaaki, professor of art history at Gakushin University, Tokyo.

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

Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849), Nihonbashi Bridge in Edo (Edo Nihonbashi), from the series Thirty-Five Views of Fuji (Fugaku Sanjūrokkei), c. 1833, color woodcut,  9 13/16 x 14 9/16 inches (24.9 x 37 cm); Gift of Mrs. Moncure Biddle in memory of Ernest Fenollosa, 1958

Visions of the Land in Edo Japan
Through Monday, January 13, 2025
2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia

There’s still time to catch Visions of the Land in Edo Japan at the Philadelphia Museum of Art before it closes on January 13!

Pictorial representations of the land blossomed in Japan during the Edo period (1615–1868), an era of peace and prosperity. Landscape painters and printmakers created a large number of works with new ideas and techniques that had recently become available. Featuring recent acquisitions and choice examples from museum’s collection, this exhibition invites you to explore the three modes of landscape presented—poetic, iconic, and panoramic. Together, these visions of the land manifest the dynamism of Edo Japan.

To learn more and plan your visit, click here.

Takahashi Hiroaki (1871-1945), Brown Cat and Tomato Plant, 1931, woodblock print, 21 x 14.5 in (53.34 x 36.83 cm)

As we welcome the New Year, The Art of Japan is pleased to present over 30 remarkable new acquisitions. Highlights include rare, large-scale prints by Hiroaki, an exceptional work by Utamaro, dynamic Kuniyoshi prints featuring actors and warriors, a striking panoramic piece by Hiroshige, and three exquisite designs by Capelari.

Explore these treasures and more in their latest collection by clicking here.