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.

Courtesy The Korea Society

Home/Away
Heejung Cho, Simpson Kim, Jian Yoo
Closing Wednesday, July 31, 2024

There is still time to visit The Korea Society for their current exhibit, Home/Away Heejung Cho, Simpson Kim, Jian Yoo, before it closes at the end of this month.

How can a Korean artist, however one identifies as such, shape their own narrative in this fast changing, global environment? Educated, living, and working in both the United States and South Korea, three Korean artists – Heejung Cho, Simpson Kim,  and Jian Yoo – ponder what home means to them by exploring the landscapes around them. Working in three distinctive media of sculpture, photography, and contemporary mother-of-pearl art, this group of young artists represents the international experience and diversity within the new generation of Korean artists and the fluid definition of one’s identity and home in the age of intercontinental living.

The gallery is open by appointment only, so be sure to reserve your spot at least 24 hours in advance by contacting [email protected] to view this summer show!

To learn more, click here.

Photo by Tadayuki Minamoto; Courtesy TAI Modern

Tradition and Innovation: Tanabe Chikuunsai IV and Apprentices
July 26 – August 31, 2024
Opening Reception: Friday, July 26, 5-7pm
Artist Gallery Walkthrough: Saturday, July 27, 2pm
1601 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM

TAI Modern is delighted to present Tradition and Innovation: Tanabe Chikuunsai IV and Apprentices. Led by master artist Tanabe Chikuunsai IV, this exhibition invites the viewer to glimpse the future of Japanese bamboo art. Driven to carry on the tradition of apprenticeship in Japan, Tanabe Chikuunsai IV’s studio currently hosts 10 apprentices, seven of whom have been invited to show at TAI Modern for the first time. They are Tashima Shiun, Nakamura Emika, Honda Yoko, Sano Kayoko, Hayashi Junpei, Ichikawa Yona, and Shimizu Yuki. As bamboo is always a family affair for the Tanabe family, Tradition and Innovation also features the work of Tanabe Mitsuko, Chikuunsai’s mother and bamboo master in her own right.

The Tanabe Chikuunsai lineage is the only surviving lineage of the great lineages in Japanese bamboo art, with a studio just outside of Osaka that is currently training its fifth generation of bamboo artists. From Tanabe Chikuunsai IV’s colossal installations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at TAI Modern in 2019, to recent international exhibitions and an ongoing collaboration with the fine fashion house Loewe, Tanabe has emerged as a leader and representative for a younger generation of bamboo artists.

The exhibition promises to be a debut of the highest caliber, with the artists expressing ideas and feelings about childhood, time, and the visceral sense of being aware of one’s own organs.  Tanabe’s Decayed Bamboo series will make its first US appearance. In these works, the bamboo twists and tangles with a feral energy, crowned with an abstracted handle made from a withered section of felled bamboo.

“Each generation of Chikuunsai has enjoyed taking on new challenges while carrying on the tradition. Innovating tradition while carrying on tradition is a contradiction of terms and a very difficult task,” Tanabe states. “However, I believe that friendly competition with the younger generation and the discovery of new concepts will lead bamboo art to a new future.”

TAI Modern will host Tanabe Chikuunsai IV and apprentices Hayashi Junpei, Ichikawa Yona, and Nakamura Emika at the opening reception this Friday evening, with an artists’ walkthrough the next day at their gallery in Sante Fe, NM. They hope you will be able to join them for this celebration of the future of bamboo art.

To learn more, click here.

Photography by @braydon_russell; Courtesy Alisan Fine Arts

Themes and Variations
Opening Reception & Live Performance: Thursday, July 25th from 6-8pm
Second Rotation: July 24 – August 23, 2024
120 E 65th Street, NYC

Alisan Fine Arts is pleased to introduce the second rotation of their current exhibition, Themes & Variations, on view from July 24th to August 23rd and cordially invite you to view these new pieces alongside a special performance by the talented ink artist Parin Heidari on July 25th.

Parin Heidari is a multidisciplinary artist known for her minimal art. She creates highly detailed and expressive works ambidextrously, using just a single line. With a strong foundation in traditional drawing and a passion for experimentation, Parin has developed a unique style that has garnered her a loyal following.

Themes and Variations features work of 15 artists who explore the use of Chinese Ink within their practice. The exhibition includes work by Hung Fai, Hung Keung, Lee Chunyi, Lin Guocheng, Lok Yitong, Ren Light Pan, Tai Xiangzhou, Wesley Tongson, Wang Mengsha, Wang Tiande, Wai Pongyu, Wei Ligang, Zhang Xiaoli, Zhang Yirong, and Zheng Chongbin.

To learn more, click here.

E-Seto ceramics; Courtesy Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.

Tales of Seto: An Exhibition of E-Seto Ceramics
July 25 – August 9, 2024

Contemporary “Seto” ware is renowned for its distinctive glazes and exceptional clay quality, as well as its long history of artistic expression through ceramics. But how did this diversity in modern ceramics emerge?

On July 25th, Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. opens Tales of Seto: An Exhibition of E-Seto Ceramics, an exhibition that explores the rich history of Seto ceramics, from the Edo to the Meiji and Showa periods, celebrating the evolution of “E-Seto (絵瀬戸),” which literally means “picture Seto.” This subcategory of Seto ceramics refers to a type of painted ceramic produced in Seto, Aichi Prefecture. The clay sourced from Seto possesses exceptional quality, consisting of kaolin and porcelain-type stone clay. When fired, this clay transforms into a brilliant white canvas, facilitating the creation of a vibrant palette of colored glazes. Experimentation with glazes and a variety of colors—black, white, green, iron red, ash, and blue and white porcelain—are hallmarks of Seto ceramics. Collectors and enthusiasts value E-Seto ceramics for their beauty, craftsmanship, and cultural heritage. Today, E-Seto ceramics continue to symbolize Japanese artistry, reflecting both traditional and contemporary influences.

They warmly welcome you to appreciate the origins of Seto pottery this summer!

To view their new online exhibition catalog, click here.

To learn more, click here.

Yoshitoshi (1839–1892), #45 Hazy Night Moon, From the Series 100 Views of the Moon, 1887, 14.37 x 9.75 in (36.50 x 24.76 cm)

The Art of Japan has just posted over fifty new Japanese prints on their website, including select designs from Yoshitoshi’s 100 Views of the Moon; a fine group of Kiyochika’s horizontal landscape prints; an original Kotondo painting of a bijin in a summer kimono; early Shin Hanga landscape prints by Hasui and Yoshida; 18th c. prints by Kitao Shigemasa, Utamaro and Hokusai; and a selection of deluxe edition prints from Hiroshige’s 100 Views of Edo.

To view these wonderful prints and more on their site, click here.

A Wedding Celebration, c. 1780, Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur, Company School, ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

This week’s Gallery Spotlight shines upon San Francisco-based gallery, Art Passages.  Founded in 2004, Art Passages specializes in Indian and Islamic paintings and works of art. Many of these fine pieces have been placed in significant private collections, as well as in major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and Musee du Quai Branly in Paris.

Their recent show during Asia Week New York in March was an online presentation of Indian paintings exhibiting a wide array of schools and subject matter. Indian Paintings: Latest Acquisitions brought together works from Mughal portraiture to Company School, paintings that reflect the taste and interest of their patrons, such as Nobles, devotees, and English resident rulers of India. Among the highlights was Wedding Celebration, an exquisite Company School watercolor, circa 1788 seen above.

Accompanying their exhibitions are in-depth scholarly catalogs that can all be viewed online here.

Installation view, Future Minded: New Works in the Collection, Special Exhibitions Gallery, Harvard Art Museums

Future Minded: New Works in the Collection
Closing Sunday, July 21, 2024
32 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 

This is the last week to view the Harvard Art Museums’ exhibition, Future Minded: New Works in the Collection, a selection of works acquired in recent years that exemplify their collecting vision and strategies. Nearly all are on display for the first time and staged across two adjacent galleries. This exhibition presents a range of drawings, photographs, prints, paintings, and sculptures spanning centuries and continents. The works are by roughly 30 artists, including Jean (Hans) Arp, Edward Mitchell Bannister, Willie Cole, Pietro Damini, Svenja Deininger, Jeffrey Gibson, Baldwin Lee, Ana Mendieta, Lucia Moholy, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Noriko Saitō, Melissa Shook, Jane Yang-D’Haene, and many others.

The museums are committed to acquiring art that expands the range of artists and cultures represented in the collections; that moves museum practice toward more nuanced understanding of both histories and contemporary issues; and that pushes boundaries and embraces experimentation. Many of the works on view are by living artists, an area of focused growth for the museums.

The galleries are free every day, so be sure to visit and view these newly acquired works before the show closes this Sunday.

To learn more, click here.