Installation view, Role of Animals and Literary Themes in Asian Art, Yale University Art Gallery

Role of Animals and Literary Themes in Asian Art
Through May 1, 2025

The Yale University Art Gallery is pleased to open the current rotation of Asian paintings and textiles in their permanent collection, Role of Animals and Literary Themes in Asian Art. Exploring the role of animals in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese art, the exhibition focuses on the 12 animals of the zodiac. As symbols of steadfastness, power, and beauty, horses feature prominently in the display. They appear in an 18th- or 19th-century Japanese screen brushed by a member of the Kano school—the official artists of the Tokugawa shogunate—while a lone horse is the subject of a hanging scroll by the famed 20th-century Chinese painter Xu Beihong. These works are juxtaposed with a rare Korean vessel in the shape of a horse and rider, dating from the 7th or 8th century. Another example of ceramic sculpture, this one from 8th-century China, takes the form of a woman playing polo.

Elegant paintings from India and Iran illustrate some of the most influential literary themes in West and South Asian culture. Among these are scenes from the life of the Hindu god Krishna as recounted in the epic Bhagavata Purana (Tale of the Lord), as well as the romantic tales of King Bahram Gur from the Haft Peykar (Seven Portraits) by the great 13th-century Iranian poet Rumi. Also included in this section of the galleries are metalwork, ceramic, and glass pieces, alongside a 17th-century Iranian tapestry depicting a hunting scene.

To browse the works on view, click here.

Chinese Painting, Hanging Scroll with a Horse, color ink on paper, image: 41 x 21 inches; overall: 72 x 25 1/2 inches, estimate: $1500-2500, Asian Paintings and Works of Art

Asian Paintings and Works of Art
February 11 – 27, 2025
Online

Discover the beauty of exquisite scrolls and other treasures in Lark Mason Associates’ Asian Paintings and Works of Art sale, open for bidding now through February 27.

To learn more, click here.

Courtesy the Japanese Art Society of America

Meiji Kabuki: Japanese Theatre Through Foreign Eyes
Monday, February 24, 2025 at 5pm (EST)
Live Zoom Webinar

Discover the captivating world of Meiji-era kabuki with the Japanese Art Society of America. Join them for a live Zoom webinar on Monday, February 24, featuring Samuel Leiter, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Theater at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of CUNY. Professor Leiter  will speak on his latest book, Meiji Kabuki: Japanese Theatre Through Foreign Eyes, an annotated collection of English-language documents by foreigners writing about Japan’s kabuki theater in the half-century after the country was opened to the West in 1853. Using memoirs, travelogues, diaries, letters and reference books, Meiji Kabuki contains all significant writing about kabuki by foreigners—resident or transient—during the Meiji period (1868–1912), well before the first substantial non-Japanese book on the subject was published.

Meiji Kabuki provides insights into how Western visitors—missionaries, scholars, diplomats, military officers, adventurers, globetrotters and even a precocious teenage girl—responded to a theater that had been almost entirely hidden from the world at large for over two centuries. The book reveals prejudices and misunderstandings, but also demonstrates the power of great theater to bring together people of differing cultural backgrounds despite the barriers of language, artistic convention and the very practice of theater-going.

Professor Leiter has published 31 books on Japanese theater, New York theater, Shakespeare and the great stage directors. Meiji Kabuki: Japanese Theatre through Foreign Eyes (2022) was selected as a Choice Reviews Academic Book of the Year. His most recent book is Brooklyn Takes the Stage: Nineteenth-Century Theater in the City of Churches (2024). He served as editor-in-chief of Asian Theatre Journal from 1992 to 2004. Among his many books on Japanese theater are Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre (2014); Kabuki at the Crossroads: Years of Crisis, 1952-1965 (2013); Rising from the Flames: The Rebirth of Theatre in Occupied Japan, 1945-1952 (2009); and the four-volume Kabuki Plays on Stag.

To register for this talk, click here.

Gulammohammed Sheikh, Speechless City, 1975; Installation view, The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-1998, Barbican, 2024-25. Photo: Max Colson

Zoom Webinar
Shifting Landscapes: New Approaches to Modern + Contemporary South Asian Art
Thursday, February 27 at 4:30pm EST

Join us for an engaging discussion on Shifting Landscapes: New Approaches to Modern + Contemporary South Asian Art with leading experts on Thursday, February 27.

Over the last decade, the global interest in modern and contemporary art from South Asia and its wide diaspora has grown exponentially. Recognition and appreciation from art enthusiasts, collectors and institutions around the world continues to expand, as does media coverage and the global marketplace for the category. In the subcontinent, new galleries, museums, art fairs and biennales have added to an increasingly vibrant arts ecosystem, providing much needed opportunities for a young, expanding population to engage with modern and contemporary art. Internationally, several prominent galleries now represent artists from the region and notable museums around the world are presenting significant solo and survey shows of their work.

Perhaps the most important supporter of the growth and evolution of modern and contemporary South Asian art has been the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), a private museum established in New Delhi by the avid collector Kiran Nadar in 2010. Deepanjana Klein, Director of Acquisitions and Development at KNMA, will highlight the museum’s evolution, its unparalleled collection, significant international collaborations and exciting plans. while Shanay Jhaveri, Head of Visual Arts at the Barbican in London, will discuss her critically acclaimed exhibition, The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-1998. The second in a series of collaborations between the Barbican and KNMA, this important show presented works by more than 30 Indian artists from a vital period of change and creativity in the country, and sparked new international engagement and conversations around South Asian art and artists.

This distinguished panel, moderated by Nishad Avari, Specialist and Head of Department for Indian Art at Christie’s New York, will unpack new and innovative approaches to modern and contemporary South Asian art that have characterized this period of growth. The discussion will explore significant changes in the local, regional, and global art landscapes, particularly at the institutional level.

To register for this free event, click here.

First Row (L-R): Qian Du (1764-1845), Summer Reflections by the Lakeside Pavilion, ink and color on silk, hanging scroll, courtesy Fu Qiumeng Fine Art;  Zebra, Mughal, by a court artist, c. 1625, opaque pigments and gold on paper, courtesy Francesca Galloway, Kang Chunhui, Sumeru NO. 34, 2023, ink and mineral pigment on paper, courtesy INKStudio; Second Row (L-R): Pair of Chinese Imperial Green Enameled Dragon Dishes, Qianlong mark and period, AD 1736-1795, courtesy Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc.; Bronze Snake-decorated Finials, eastern Zhou, 5th c. BCE, courtesy Kaikodo LLC; Third Row (L-R): Maharana Jawan Singh (detail), Udaipur, India, c. 1830, courtesy Art Passages; AVALOKITESHVARA, central Tibet, 15th c., copper alloy, courtesy Carlton Rochell Asian Art; Wucius Wong, Mountain Dream 8, 1985, Chinese ink & color on rice paper, courtesy Alisan Fine Arts; Last Row (L-R): A Longquan Celadon “Yen Yen” Vase with Applied Scrolling Floral Decoration, Yuan Dynasty, China, 1271-1368 AD, courtesy Zetterquist Galleries; Portrait of a reclining beauty, Safavid Persia, opaque pigments with gold on paper, 17th c., courtesy Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch, Ltd.

As we gear up for the 16th season of Asia Week New York, we’re thrilled to offer an exclusive preview of the extraordinary artworks arriving next month!

In this first installment, we’re highlighting ten AWNY member dealers—both local and international—who are preparing remarkable exhibitions featuring classical and contemporary paintings and objects from India, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, and China.

Alisan Fine Arts
Reconstructed Realities: Gu Gan, Lee Chun-yi, Wucius Wong
March 13–15 & 18–21, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 13, 6-8pm
120 East 65th Street

“Mountain Dream 8,” an ink and color drawing on rice paper, by Wucius Wong–the artist’s first exhibition in twenty years–is among a large selection of works in the exhibition Reconstructed Realities: Gu Gan, Lee Chun-yi, Wucius Wong at Alisan Fine Arts.

Art Passages
Indian Art: Latest Acquisitions
March 13–21, 2025
Online Only

Among the latest acquisitions of Indian Art at Art Passages is a detail of Maharana Jawan Singh from Udaipur, circa 1830. Maharana Jawan Singh is seated in an elaborate tent setting, the interior of which is decorated with textiles in floral arabesque as well as heraldic imagery.

Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc.
Spring Exhibition of Chinese Porcelain and Works of Art
March 13–21, 2025
16 East 52nd Street, 10th Floor

A striking pair of vibrant green and white Chinese Imperial Green Enameled Dragon Dishes with a Qianlong mark dated AD 1736–1795 is among the superb offerings in the Spring Exhibition of Chinese Porcelain and Works of Art at Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc.

Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch, Ltd.
Animals, Birds and Portraits: Works on Paper from India and Persia
March 13–21, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 13, 5-8pm
67 East 80th Street, Suite 2

In their exhibition Animals, Birds and Portraits: Works on Paper from India and Persia, the gallery will present a 17th-century portrait of a reclining beauty from the collection of Pierre Le-Tan (1950–2019), the late artist and illustrator famous for his New Yorker covers. This fascinating Safavid painting is a Persian interpretation of the Renaissance depiction of the reclining female nude as painted by Raphael and Raimondi.

Fu Qiumeng Fine Art
Fluid Strength: The Art of Ink
March 13–21, 2025
Opening Reception: Friday, March 14, 5-8pm
65 East 80th Street, Ground Floor

“Summer Reflections by the Lakeside Pavilion” by Qian Du (1764–1845) takes center stage in the Fluid Strength: The Art of Ink at Fu Qiumeng Fine Art. This hanging scroll in ink and color on silk showcases the timeless beauty and artistic significance of traditional Chinese painting.

Francesca Galloway
India’s Fascination with the Natural World
March 13–20, 2025
Les Enluminures, 23 East 73rd Street, 7th Floor, Penthouse

A rare and important Mughal Zebra by a court artist, circa 1625, is one of the many works at Francesca Galloway’s exhibition India’s Fascination with the Natural World, illustrating Imperial fascination with the wider natural world. This fascination is evident in the use of master court painters to record these animals for imperial collections and the great lengths taken to import animals not indigenous to India, such as red squirrels, turkeys, ostriches, and in this case, a zebra.

INKstudio
Kang Chunhui and Ethan Su: New Approaches to Gongbi Painting
March 13–21, 2025
By appointment only, email: [email protected]

One of the highlights featured in the exhibition is “Sumeru No. 34,” which is part of Kang Chunhui’s Sumeru series. The series explores the relationship between color, shape, light, dimension, and boundary through the form of the fold. Folds of draping fabric are a key artistic element in Gandharan Greco-Buddhist sculpture and form the basis for the brush-line mode of early Chinese figure painting that later becomes the essence of East Asian brush painting.

Kaikodo LLC
Separate Realities
March 13–21, 2025
Online Only

In their exhibition, Separate Realities, Kaikodo LLC will feature 5th-century BCE Bronze Snake-decorated Finials from Eastern Zhou, exemplifying the strikingly innovative bronze-casting methods that made such creations possible. This piece is relevant to the year of the snake as a relic of ancient Chinese enterprise and ingenuity.

Carlton Rochell Asian Art
Classical Art from India and the Himalayas
March 13–21, 2025
Adam Williams Fine Art, 24 East 80th Street

A graceful image of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, is one of the sculptures in Classical Art from India and the Himalayas at Carlton Rochell Asian Art. Called one of the finest in the Pala tradition, it was most likely made in Tibet and closely modeled after Indian prototypes. The well-proportioned, suavely modeled figure stands gracefully, reflecting the full, perfect body of a youth.

Zettterquist Galleries
Green Glazed Ceramics from China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam
March 13–21, 2025
3 East 66th Street, Suite 2B

A graceful 14th-century Chinese Yen-Ten (Phoenix Tail) Longquan Celadon Vase from the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) is among the many ancient ceramic wares in Green Glazed Ceramics from China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam at Zetterquist Galleries. Such vases, produced for both domestic and export use, were often presented in pairs for temple or large residential altars. Typically crafted in celadon, they date from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty and are frequently found in Japan and Southeast Asia.

Stay tuned for more exciting glimpses into this year’s world-class event!

Platter, Yuan period, mid-14th century, China, Jiangxi Province, porcelain painted with underglaze cobalt blue (Jingdezhen ware), h. 3 in. x diam. 18 3/8 in. (7.6 x 46.7 cm); Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.151

From ancient ceramics to contemporary film, explore the richness of Asian art and culture at Asia Society with highlights including an exhibition of imperial Chinese ceramics, a screening of Yang Fudong’s moving image epic, and a 10-day Ang Lee film series.

Imperial Treasures: Chinese Ceramics of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties from the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection
February 18 – August 10, 2025

Known for exquisite porcelain production and expansive trade, the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) represents a period of Chinese imperial rule between the fall of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) and the rise of the Manchu Qing dynasty (1644–1911). The approximately 20 works selected for this exhibition demonstrate how early Ming ceramics inherited the rich and culturally diverse legacy of the Mongol rulers by adopting foreign influences through vibrant trade with the Islamic and Central Asian worlds and combining them with indigenous Chinese traditions.

To learn more, click here.

Yang Fudong (born 1971 in Beijing, China; lives and works in Shanghai), Seven Intellectuals in a Bamboo Forest, Part I, 2003, single-channel video with sound; 35mm black-and-white film transferred to DVD, duration: 29 minutes, 22 seconds; Asia Society, New York: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harold and Ruth Newman, 2011.24

Yang Fudong: Seven Intellectuals in a Bamboo Forest
February 18 – August 10, 2025

Asia Society Museum is showing Yang Fudong’s Seven Intellectuals in a Bamboo Forest, in its entirety as a prelude to the upcoming exhibition, (Re)Generations: Rina Banerjee, Byron Kim, and Howardena Pindell amid the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Collection, opening in March. The work follows seven young men and women on journeys in search of their identities and ideal lives, reflecting the many urban, ideological, and economic transformations across China today.

In 2003, Yang Fudong produced the first part of his five-part film; one part of the film was created each year (in sequential order), and the entire work was finished in 2007. The work has no clear narrative, although each part takes place in a different setting. Some parts take place in a rural environment, while others are set in cities. The film poses questions about the dissonance between men and women, individuals and society, the past and present, and reality and an ideal world.

Each part was originally shot in 35mm film, which was then transferred to DVD. Yang prefers to shoot in film, as opposed to digital video, as he believes that film retains a strong sense of the artist’s touch, which digital videos often lack. The five parts differ in length, ranging from approximately thirty to seventy minutes; the total running time amounts to about four hours.

Seven Intellectuals in a Bamboo Forest was first screened at the 2007 Venice Biennale, receiving high praise. Asia Society Museum acquired the work in 2011.

To learn more, click here.

Water and Oil: The Movies of Ang Lee
February 14 – 23, 2025
Ticketed event

Taiwan-born Ang Lee, who immigrated to the US at 23, is a two-time Oscar-winning director ( Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi). His eclectic filmography ranges from Hollywood spectacles (Gemini Man) and period pieces (Sense and Sensibility) to acclaimed romantic comedies and even a Marvel film (Hulk). While Lee has noted the cultural divide between East and West, his work often explores the interplay of these influences, particularly the tension between tradition and desire. This retrospective celebrates the diversity of Lee’s films while highlighting the consistent themes of longing, ritual, repression, and existential questions that run through his work.

To learn more and view the full schedule of screenings, click here.

Photograph by Hyo Jin An

Choong Sup Lim: In Between
February 19 – April 12, 2025
Opening Reception: Wednesday, February 19, 6-8pm
Atrium and Gallery

The Korean Cultural Center New York is proud to present an exhibition celebrating the profound artistic legacy of Choong Sup Lim (b. 1941). Lim’s work transcends the boundaries of nature and civilization, tradition and modernity, Korea and New York, illuminating the transformative potential of the liminal spaces where these realms converge.

“I do not belong anywhere.”

This statement epitomizes Lim’s identity as an artist who resists categorization, instead embracing the creative tension found in the margins. By integrating natural materials such as Hanji, wood, and stone with contemporary forms, Lim bridges dichotomies—past and present, East and West—crafting a visual language that is at once deeply personal and universally resonant.

In 1973, Lim relocated to New York, a move that marked a pivotal moment in his career. Over the decades, he has established himself as a leading presence among Korean artists in the city, shaping a distinctive practice that harmonizes Korean aesthetics with global influences. New York’s fast-paced urban environment became the catalyst for his exploration of balance and order inspired by nature, resulting in a body of work that reflects both introspection and bold innovation. Born in Jincheon, a rural town in central South Korea, Lim’s early life in this agrarian landscape left an indelible mark on his artistic vision. His practice explores the interplay between his childhood memories and the urban dynamism of New York, revealing an ongoing dialogue between nostalgia and modernity.

Central to Lim’s work is the use of found objects, which serve as vessels of memory and time. His early explorations included minimalist drawings on Hanji and experimental spatial installations. In later decades, Lim incorporated found objects more actively, reimagining their histories and meanings as part of his visual narrative. His recent installations, marked by intricate craftsmanship, merge Korean sensibilities with contemporary relevance, offering a profound meditation on cultural duality and artistic reinvention.

To learn more and RSVP, click here.

(Left): Photo: Chloe Collyer; (Right): Du Fu on His Donkey, early 15th century, Ashikaga Yoshimochi, ink on paper, overall (incl endknobs & hanging braid): 72 1/2 × 18 1/8 in., image: 39 3/4 × 12 13/16 in.; Purchased from the bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Stewart Downey, 53.82, photo: Chloe Collyer; Courtesy Seattle Art Museum

Discover the Seattle Art Museum’s finely crafted teahouse and hear from their curators at these upcoming events this month!

Chanoyu: Tea Culture of Japan Demonstration
Saturday, February 15, 3-4pm
Seattle Art Museum, Teahouse (3rd floor)
Free with Admission 

Experience Chanoyu in SAM’s finely crafted teahouse to discover how the medium of offering and receiving a bowl of tea provides a model for mindful living in a turbulent world.

Originating in China and transformed in Japan, the iconic Tea Culture of Chanoyu distills art, hospitality, and philosophy into an unprecedented and unrepeatable moment of serenity and beauty.

Chanoyu demonstrations are included with museum admission and held on the second Saturday of every month from 3-4 pm and the third Saturday of every month from 2-3 pm. Demonstrations are hosted by Seizankai, a group of certified tea instructors representing various traditions of Chanoyu.

To learn more, click here.

Members Conversations with Curators | Zen Misfits
Wednesday, February 19, 6-7:30pm
Seattle Art Museum
Members: $10; Member guests: $15

Their members-only lecture series features monthly conversations with the creative forces behind SAM’s collections and exhibitions. This month, explore the diverse cast of characters that populate Zen paintings—where buddhas and bodhisattvas appear alongside a host of other Buddhist and non-Buddhist deities, teachers, cultural luminaries, and semi-legendary magic figures. Focusing on medieval and early-modern Japan, this talk with Aaron Rio, Tateuchi Foundation Curator of Japanese and Korean Art, will explore the place of iconoclasts, outsiders, and other misfits in the Zen pictorial tradition.

To learn more and purchase tickets, click here.

Not a member? Join today by clicking here.

A Delicate Line: Corpse She Was Holding (detail), Chitra Ganesh (b. 1975, United States), 2010, screenprint, lithograph, linocut, monotype, digital printing, glitter, and plastic on paper, Courtesy of Drs. Umesh and Sunanda Gaur, © Chitra Ganesh

Body Transformed: Contemporary South Asian Photographs and Prints
February 15 – August 17, 2025
Curator Tour: Saturday, February 15, 2025, 2-3pm
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery | Gallery 28

The National Museum of Asian Art is pleased to open Body Transformed: Contemporary South Asian Photographs and Prints, an exhibition of works that center on the human figure, on February 15. Join curator Carol Huh for an in-depth tour on opening day and discover how these artists use the expressive power of photography and print media to examine the individual’s place in the world.

Works by Pushpamala N. and Clare Arni, Vivek Vilasini, Ram Rahman, and Naveen Kishore focus on the performing body to confront notions of gender and cultural identity through photography, a medium that has played a complicated role in India since the nineteenth century. Jitish Kallat and Rashid Rana manipulate photographic images to simultaneously assert and dissolve the portrait in jarring compositions that hover between reflections on the public being and the disquiet of the inner self.

Master print artists Krishna Reddy, Chitra Ganesh, and Jyoti Bhatt experiment with provocatively carved lines and vivid colors unique to printmaking. Fragmenting, morphing, and multiplying the figure, these artists incorporate various processes to explore representations of power, place, and sexuality in today’s world.

Body Transformed draws from the generous gifts of Drs. Umesh and Sunanda Gaur.

To learn more, click here.