A Youth Standing, Isfahan, Iran, ca. 1630–1640, opaque watercolor and gold on paper mounted on an album page, 11 5/8 x 7 5/8 in., National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Asia Week New York is delighted to welcome two important museums to our community. Please follow news about these organizations' exhibitions and special events on AWNY's website, newsletters and social media posts.

National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution
The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, are located on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Committed to preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting exemplary works of art, the National Museum of Asian Art addresses broad questions about culture, identity, and the contemporary world. The museum cares for exceptional collections of Asian art, with more than 45,000 objects dating from the Neolithic period to today and originating from the ancient Near East to China, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia, and the Islamic world.

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Shakyamuni Buddha, Gandhara (present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan), 100s – 200s, Kushan empire (30s BCE – 300s CE), schist sculpture, 11 1/8 x 5 1/8 x 3 in. Denver Art Museum.

Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum’s Asian Art collection was founded in 1915 when Walter C. Mead pledged his collection of Chinese and Japanese art “to the people of Denver.” The collection has since grown to be one of the finest of its kind in North America. With more than 7,000 artworks representing 6,000 years of history across the entire Asian continent, the collection is particular strong in artwork from Japan, Korea, China, India, and the Islamic world. Its holdings include objects of almost all media, with a strength in ceramics and sculptures.

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Kenji Wakasugi, Sanctuary (detail), 2021, photograph on washi mounted screen, 23 5/8 x 33 1/2 in.

Synthesis II Exhibition: “Adore” Madonna and Fusuma
Photography by Kenji Wakasugi
Last day January 7, 2022

A sequel to Synthesis, Wakasugi’s inaugural exhibition at Ippodo Gallery in 2016, Synthesis II highlights the artist’s exploration of photography inspired by traditional ink painting. The show will also feature individual prints and a limited second edition publication of the photo book ADORE from his 1985 photoshoot with Madonna, published by Nick Groarke, NJG Studio in London.

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Miyamura Hideaki (b. 1955), Snow Cup with Gold Glaze, glazed porcelain, H. 11.6 in.

Celebrations: Brightness and Lustre in Contemporary Japanese Ceramics,
Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.
Closes Wednesday, January 5th

Brightness and lustre are inherent to the history of Japanese decorative arts. From textiles to ceramics, surface sheen and the ability for objects to iridesce has endured throughout the ages. In contemporary Japanese ceramics, artists render beautifully elaborate innovations on the potential for ceramic surfaces to opalesce. This exhibition is especially suited to the holiday season and offers Dai Ichi Gallery an opportunity to welcome and thank collectors, guests, and supporters at this festive time.

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Ippodo Gallery is hosting a special Artist's Talk on December 30th.

Artist's Talk with Kenji Wakasugi and Curator Emerita Felice Fisher,
Ippodo Gallery
Thursday, December 30, 2021, 5pm (EST)

Ippodo Gallery will host a special online Artist's Talk with Kenji Wakasugi, whose work is featured in their current exhibition Synthesis II, and Felice Fischer, curator emerita of Japanese and East Asian art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. They will discuss the present show in-depth, and Wakasugi will share his artistic process and influences. Time will be set aside at the end for audience Q&A.

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Honma Hideaki (b. 1959), Sign of Wind-Stream, 2012, madake and nemagari bamboo, rattan,
38.75 x 15.5 x 13 in.

Mountains & Sky, TAI Modern
Concludes Friday, December 31st

It is impossible to live in Santa Fe without falling a little bit in love with the mountains and sky. This winter, TAI Modern, which is based in this special place, pays homage to these pillars of the high desert landscape with an exhibition of works from Japan and America that evoke or are inspired by the natural world.

Mountains & Sky brings together a selection of vessel makers, painters, and sculptors. The references to nature can be straightforward, as in Black Mesa, Linda Whitaker’s powerful oil-pastel of a local landscape, or more difficult to pinpoint, as in Hatakeyama Seido’s Mountain Range, a jar-shaped bamboo basket with a decorative knotted motif reminiscent of the titular forms. Be sure to catch this engaging exhibition, in person or online.

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Gold Lacquer Box with Pine Cones, 1929, makie-e gold lacquer with shell and pewter inlays on wood,
5 x 11 x 9 in.

Golden Treasures: Japanese Gold Lacquer Boxes, Thomsen Gallery
Now on view-January 31, 2022

Thomsen Gallery at 9 E. 63rd St in New York has extended its current exhibition through the end of January, which gives visitors extra time to see these elegant works of art. The masterworks in the exhibition are all examples of maki-e, which literally means “sprinkled pictures” and refers to the technique of sprinkling powders of gold and silver onto wet lacquer, a distinctly Japanese tradition that developed in the Heian Period (794 – 1185).

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Gonpo Buddhist Mask with Skulls, Tibet or Bhutan, papier mache, pigment and gold gilt, 13 in.

Masks Then and Now: Inspiration and Interpretation, Thomas Murray,
Asiatica-Ethnographica
Now on view

Thomas Murray, Asiatica-Ethnographica is currently offering an exceptional exhibition of masks from numerous tribal groups throughout Asia, ranging from the Himalayas to Japan to Indonesia, as well as several in the West. These striking images are crafted of a variety of materials, including wood, metal, and papier mache. The exhibition may be viewed on the gallery's website or in person by appointment in Mill Valley, California. The display of masks is accompanied by several informative articles online, such as Transformation Masks and Artistic Metamorphosis (in English and French) and Demons and Deities: Masks of the Himalayas. Also available is Thomas Murray's 2009 book Masks of Fabled Lands.

Topeng Wayang Comic Mask, Java, 19th/very early 20th century, wood, pigment, 9 in.

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Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc. has made available their Winter 2021-2022 catalogue.

Winter 2021-2022 Booklet available, Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc.

Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc., which was founded in 1910, has recently published their Winter 2021-2022 booklet filled with fine Chinese Porcelains and Works of Art. Many of the works have a holiday theme and celebrate the festive season. The booklet can be downloaded free on the gallery's website, and visitors are welcome to stop by the gallery on East 52nd Street and see the art objects in person.

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