ASIA WEEK

Superb Pair of Famille Verte Porcelain Plates, Kangxi period, AD 1662-1722, Diameter: 15 ¼ in. (39 cm)

The Philadelphia Show
April 26 – 28, 2024
Friday, 11am-7pm; Saturday, 11am-6pm; Sunday 11am-5pm
East Terrace of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

As a participant for almost 20 years, Ralph M. Chait Galleries are pleased to return to the Philadelphia Show happening today and throughout this weekend!

They will bring a fine variety of Chinese porcelains and works art, including monochrome porcelains of varying forms across the palette, and notably some examples of the rare and restricted Imperial Yellow. The gallery will also be showing many recently acquired objects and some coming from their collection years back presenting an opportunity to reconnect, and bringing the past and present together in many ways.

The Philadelphia Show, held annually on the East Terrace of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, showcases an outstanding selection of collectible antiques, art and design presented by over forty of America’s leading dealers. Learn more about the joy of collecting through educational dealer talks, show tours or take part in a self-guided treasure hunt. Come experience the amazing array of fine art, Americana, furniture, folk art, ceramics, porcelain, silver, jewelry, textiles, decorative arts, and feel the thrill of the hunt.

As always, Ralph M. Chait Galleries look forward to welcoming you to their booth and are always delighted to hear from you.

To purchase tickets and learn more about the Philadelphia Show, click here.

Selection of jars, vases, and vessels from Kim Hono’s forthcoming collection

Enchanted Objects: Kim Hono Solo Exhibition
Online and In-Person
May 2 – 16, 2024

Dai Ichi Arts is thrilled to present Enchanted Objects: Kim Hono Solo Exhibition next month. The show marks Kim’s return to New York with a new series of ceramic works.

Kim Hono has crafted enchanting ceramic objects that yield a compelling formula of joy, humor, abstraction and play. He now presides over a riotous and beloved body of work – which now spans over 5 decades – which offers a window into his remarkable professional journey as both contemporary studio potter and artist.

To view the online exhibition catalogue on Issuu, click here.

To learn more about the exhibition, click here.

Julie W. Chang (b. 1976), Lokhandaum, 2023, acrylic and resin on panel, 29.8 x 29.8 x 3.8cm; Forthcoming Light, Space and Time exhibition

There is still time to view Alisan Fine Arts’ two exhibitions, Lui Shou-Kwan: Shifting Landscapes and Landscape as Metaphor: Contemporary Voices, before they close this Saturday, April 27th!

Also mark your calendars for their upcoming Spring exhibit, Light, Space and Time, opening on May 2nd with an evening reception from 5 to 8pm!

Light, Space and Time
May 2 – June 22, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 2, 5-8pm

Light, Space and Time is a group exhibition featuring the work of California-based Asian American visual artists Julie W Chang, Summer Mei-Ling Lee and Zhang Jian-Jun. Influenced by the Californian coast and the Light and Space movement, Chang, Lee and Zhang approach light and space through a different lens and additional dimension. Informed by historical-cultural perspectives, their practices add a “time” element to the works in the exhibition to explore how the personal and historical affect the environment and our perception.

This group show opens at the beginning of May, in correlation with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. AAPI month recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States.

To learn more, click here.

Matsui Kōsei (1927-2003), Large broad-waisted Neriage vessel, 1989, marbleized stoneware, 13 x 14 1/2 in., (12860)

Layered Clay
May 1 – June 21, 2024

“Vibrantly colored layered clays are used to such an extent…that the conventional, narrow view of neriage has been shattered” said Hasebe Mitsuhiko former curator of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 1990 when speaking of the layered clay works of modern-day Japanese ceramic artists. Their use of the painstaking technique of cutting, forming, and shaping layers of colored clay to form their visually mesmerizing ceramics has often been likened to creating three-dimensional mind games. This ancient technique, known as neriage or nerikomi originated in 8th century China, spread to Korea in the 12th century then to England in the 18th century before coming to its pinnacle in modern-day Japan.

This spring, Joan B Mirviss LTD celebrates the extraordinary achievements of three past masters who revitalized this ancient technique and creatively expanded the seemingly simple idea of building clay upon clay: Matsui Kōsei, Miyashita Zenji, and Ogata Kamio. Their artistry was impossible to achieve without their equally astonishing technical skills. Developed steadily over time, with patience and experimentation, their deft manipulation of clay enabled them each in their own ways to achieve dazzling color contrasts, unexpected surface effects, and gradations of textures and colors that complemented their vessels’ forms. Many of their artworks have been acquired directly from the estates of the artists, with the blessings of their families, and are obviously fresh to the market. In addition, work by seven other Japanese ceramic artists who were contemporaries of, or successors to, their innovative legacies will be displayed in Layered Clay.

To learn more, click here.

(Left): Shigaraki Jar, 16th/17th century, stoneware with natural ash glaze, 12¼ x 8¾ x 8½ in. (31 x 22 x 21.5 cm); (Right): Fukami Sueharu (b. 1947), Chū (Midair), 2023, porcelain with seihakuji glaze , 11 x 12 x 11 in. (28 x 30.5 x 28 cm)

Japanese Ceramics: Medieval to Contemporary
April 24 – May 18 2024

Thomsen Gallery is delighted to present their Spring exhibition, Japanese Ceramics: Medieval to Contemporary. This special show—devoted to a key component of the Japanese aesthetic tradition that is as dynamic today as it was 10,000 years ago—starts with a small group of stoneware vessels dating from the sixth to the seventeenth century with dynamic surface finishes that complement the vessels’ robust forms and rugged surfaces.

The show continues with work by ceramic artists in the Mingei tradition (founded in the 1920s) who played a key role in shaping the American taste for contemporary Japanese ceramics during the early postwar period, notably a jaunty vase with signature cross motifs executed in poured glaze by Hamada Shōji and a formal flower container by Shinkai Kanzan exemplifing the refinement of ceramics made in Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital.

Contemporary Japanese porcelain forms an important component of their Spring show with masterpieces by two Living National Treasures, Nakajima Hiroshi and Tokuda Yasokichi III. Nakajima was admired for his beautiful celadon glazes while Tokuda was celebrated for his use of his family’s traditional glaze colors to create gradated abstract patterning applied to perfectly wheel-thrown, glowing vessels.

The show concludes with another group of outstanding works—including both vessels and pure sculptures—by Fukami Sueharu, an artist whom Thomsen Gallery has maintained a close connection with for more than three decades. His wheel-thrown or pressure-cast porcelain sculptures, finished in a luminous bluish-white glaze that originated in eleventh-century China, are admired in public collections around the world.

To view these pieces and learn more, click here.

Fukuda Kodojin (1865-1944), Moon over Azure Mountains, 1899, ink and color on paper, 18¾ x 13¼ in. (47.6 x 33.7 cm), mounting: 50½ x 18¾ in. (128.5 x 47.5 cm)

Our Gallery Spotlight shines this week on BachmannEckenstein Japanese Art based in Basel, Switzerland. Among their fine collection of Japanese painting, calligraphy, and ceramics from the 16th to the early 20th century is this hanging scroll by the multifaceted scholar-artist Fukuda Kodōjin (1865–1944). As the artist’s earliest documented work, inscribed with the date “January 1899: Moon over Azure Mountains,” the painting comprises of an expressive mountain landscape accompanied by a poem, for which he is well known.  Devoid of any human activity, the lofty view depicts an evening scene with a gnarled plum tree in the center foreground and a moon in the distance. His poem, composed specifically for this painting, conveys the sentiment evoked by the image and is translated below. It was later included in his 1912 anthology Seisho’s Mountain Studio Collection.

Here at dusk, where cranes return,
The sheer cliffs show plum blossoms.
Beneath them the azure of a cold pond,
Where a mountain monk draws water, moon-adorned.

This painting was exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s Fukuda Kodōjin: Japan’s Great Poet and Landscape Artist exhibition (April 22, 2023–July 23, 2023) and published in the catalogue Kat. No 1. p. 27.

To learn more about this remarkable work, click here.

Kenji Wakasugi, DANCE, ダンス , 2021, courtesy Ippodo Gallery; Emi Anrakuji (b. 1963), Untitled 8 from the “Ehagaki – Picture Postcard” series, early 2000s, pigment print, 3 1/2 x 5 3/8 in, courtesy Miyako Yoshinaga

The Photography Show
April 25 – 28, 2024
Opening Reception & VIP Preview: Thursday, Apr 25, 5-8pm
Hours: Friday, Apr 26, 12-8pm; Saturday, Apr 27, 12-7pm; Sunday, Apr 28, 12-5pm
Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave, NYC

Ippodo Gallery and Miyako Yoshinaga are pleased to be participating in The Photography Show, presented by AIPAD,  opening next Thursday, April 25th.

As the premier international art fair dedicated to the photographic medium, The Photography Show is returning to the iconic Park Avenue Armory for their 43rd edition with a dazzling array of contemporary, modern, and historic photography and a program of compelling talks and panel discussions.

Purchase your tickets today and visit their booths for a spectacular selection of photographic works.

To learn more, click here.

Arnold Chang, Landscape 2023.11 (detail), 2023, ink and color on paper, 38 1/2 x 27 1/8 in (97.8 x 68.9 cm), courtesy Fu Qiumeng Fine Art

The Mountains Show and Hide: Color in the Landscape Paintings of Arnold Chang
April 25 – June 22, 2024
Rotations: April 25–May 25 & May 28–June 22
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 25 from 5-8pm

Fu Qiumeng Fine Art is delighted to present The Mountains Show and Hide: Color in the Landscape Paintings of Arnold Chang, the first solo exhibition of Arnold Chang (張洪) in New York since 1996. While Chang in his fifty-year career as an artist has painted ink landscapes in the traditional Chinese literati manner, this exhibition, showcasing Chang’s landscape paintings of the past ten years, marks his newly developed approach of seamlessly integrating color into his personal vision of landscape. The exhibition is curated by Joy Xiao Chen, Ph.D. candidate in Art History at the University of California, Los Angeles and the former Sylvan C. Coleman and Pam Coleman Memorial Fund Fellow in the Department of Asian Art from 2021 to 2023 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

There will be two rotations throughout the exhibition run with the first one on view from April 25th through May 25th, and the second one on view from May 28th through June 22nd, 2024. The gallery will also present several related programs including an insightful artist’s dialogue with the exhibition curator followed by an artist demonstration on May 26th and another conversation with Xian Fang, the former Head of Sales and Vice President in Classical Chinese Paintings Department at Sotheby’s New York, who has been working with Chang for over a decade, about the history of the classical Chinese paintings market in New York on June 16th.  Further details on these upcoming events will be posted on this site.

To learn more and read the full exhibition essay, click here.

Courtesy of Charles B. Wang Center 

There is a host of engaging events at our member Museums and Institutions this month, so be sure to mark your calendars for the following programs!

The Charles B. Wang Center
Gallery Tour: John W. Winkler: The Chinatown Etchings
Wednesday, April 17 at 12pm

Journey through a captivating world of etchings in this monthly guided gallery tour of their featured exhibition, John W. Winkler: The Chinatown Etchings with exhibition curator A. Rex Rivolo, who will offer invaluable insights into the print techniques, themes, and cultural context present in this show.

To register and learn more about this free event, click here.

The Rubin Museum of Art
Empowering Caregivers | Mindful Looking, Conversation, and Community
Thursday, April 18 at 11:30am

On the third Thursday of every month, join the Rubin’s community of caregivers for a free, in-person program of art and connection that begins with a tour and conversation and concludes in the café, where participants will enjoy complimentary refreshments and lively conversation to build connections and strengthen the caregiver community.

To register and learn more about this free event, click here.

Japan Society
Morning Meditation Session
Friday, April 19 at 11am

Investigate the wisdom of Zen’s textual tradition and its relevance in our contemporary daily lives with a zazen (seated) meditation session led by Muken Sensei. In this intimate event, participants will learn how to engage with the breath as a grounding for deep attention and enjoy the serenity of being surrounded by Zenga (Zen paintings) on view in the exhibition.

To purchase tickets and learn more, click here.

China Institute
Calligraphy and Music Meetup
Friday, April 19 at 6pm

In this monthly program, you will listen to the performance of unique Chinese instruments and feel the charm of Chinese music combined with practicing Chinese calligraphy with a master calligrapher. No previous experience of calligraphy is required. Ink, paper, and brush will be provided onsite. Join like-minded friends to enjoy wine and tea, practice calligraphy, and listen to music.

To purchase tickets and learn more, click here.

Harvard Art Museum
Exhibition Tour of Future Minded: New Works in the Collection
Sunday, April 21 at 12pm

Join chief curator Soyoung Lee for a tour of their latest exhibit highlighting a selection of works acquired in recent years that exemplify the Harvard Art Museums’ collecting vision and strategies. Nearly all are on display for the first time.

To register and learn more about this free event, click here.

Yale University Art Gallery
Gallery Talk: Dragon, God of Water: Screens in Ink on Washi Paper
Wednesday, April 24 at 12:30pm

Join Sadako Ohki, the Japan Foundation Associate Curator of Japanese Art and curator of the exhibition Year of the Dragon, for a close examination of two works of ink on washi paper: Pair of Screens with Dragons and Waves, attributed to the Japanese artist Kaihō Yūshō (1533–1615) and Civilization Landscape No. 073 by the Chinese artist Qin Feng (b. 1961). This object-based discussion explores how artists engage with the dragon’s celebrated role as the god of water as well as how this theme takes on a sorrowful quality with regard to today’s environmental crisis. Gather by the Public Programs sign in the Gallery lobby.

To learn more about this free event, click here.

Asia Society
KING COAL Screening and Q&A Presented by COAL + ICE and the Climate Film Festival (CFF)
Wednesday, April 24 at 6pm

In celebration of Earth Week and in conjunction with Asia Society’s current exhibit, COAL + ICE, join Oscar-nominated filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon as she presents her film that delves into the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created.

To purchase tickets and learn more, click here.

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Affinity Group Talk: Art Meets Tech in Into the Seven Jeweled Mountain Exhibition
Wednesday, April 24 at 6pm

In conjunction with their current exhibition, Into the Seven Jeweled Mountain: An Immersive Experience, Sooa McCormick, Korea Foundation Curator of Korean Art, will speak about the tradition and importance of Korean landscape painting and explore the details of the Seven Jeweled Mountain in North Korea, which is renowned for its remarkable topographical features and popular destination for high-ranking elite Koreans as well as a Buddhist pilgrimage site.

To learn more about this members-only event, click here.

Brooklyn Museum of Art
Brooklyn Talks: Takashi Murakami
Monday, April 29 at 7pm

Get an inside look at their newly opened exhibit, Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo (feat. Takashi Murakami), as artist Takashi Murakami joins Joan Cummins, Lisa and Bernard Selz Senior Curator of Asian Art, for a discussion on his new series of fantastical paintings that respond to Utagawa Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo, a Brooklyn Museum treasure that is on view for the first time in 24 years.

To purchase tickets and learn more, click here.

Installation view of Eternal Partnership: Japanese Ceramics in Blue & White and Postwar Japanese Calligraphy and Painting,  courtesy Joan B Mirviss LTD

Eternal Partnership: Japanese Ceramics in Blue & White
presented by Joan B Mirviss LTD

Postwar Japanese Calligraphy and Painting
presented by Shibunkaku

Closing Friday, April 19, 2024

Be sure to to view this pair of complementing exhibitions – Eternal Partnership: Japanese Ceramics in Blue & White presented by Joan B Mirviss LTD and Postwar Japanese Calligraphy and Painting presented by Gallery Shibunkaku – before they close this Friday, April 19th at Joan B Mirviss LTD.

Eternal Partnership: Japanese Ceramics in Blue & White is an exploration into the artistry of blue and/or white ceramics by a group of exceptional Japanese artists. The most visually striking color combination for centuries, blue and white has been paired effectively in all types of Japanese art, but most prominently and successfully in its ceramics. Joan B Mirviss LTD presents the enduring legacy of this timeless aesthetic, and its dynamic expressions in Japanese contemporary clay, through the lens of the esteemed Kyoto-based Kondō family. The exhibit also includes masterful work by twenty additional Japanese ceramic artists applying blue and/or white across a wide range of innovative forms and styles.

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

Postwar Japanese Calligraphy and Painting focuses on abstract paintings and works on paper of Japanese artists from the postwar period and showcases a variety of artistic practices in Japanese art during this time. By highlighting the international dialogue with artistic movements such as Art Informel and Abstract Expressionism, Gallery Shibunkaku’s exhibition challenges conventional narratives and constraints endured within a Western context.

To learn more and view the online exhibition: click here.

This exquisite pairing of blue and white ceramics with postwar Japanese works of art in harmony offers a unique perspective on the ever-evolving dynamism of Japan’s artistic traditions.