ASIA WEEK

Visitors in the immersive Seven Jeweled Mountain exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art

Virtual Lunchtime Lecture: Making Into the Seven Jeweled Mountain
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
12:00 – 1:00pm
Free on Zoom (registration required)

Join the Cleveland Museum of Art staff next Tuesday for a quick bite of art history! Learn about their current immersive experience, Into the Seven Jeweled Mountain, where viewers are surrounded by vivid animations inspired by a 19th century folding screen that illustrates the mountain’s striking scenery. This ten-panel screen, Seven Jeweled Mountain, is on view just outside the experience exclusively at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Named Seven Jeweled Mountain from a local legend claiming seven different kinds of jewels—gold, silver, pearls, coral, seashells, agate, and crystal—were buried in there, this natural wonder gained popularity after Im Hyeong-soo (1514–1547) published a detailed travelogue about his hiking experience. Pulling from his experience, viewers are taken through a virtual hike amid swiftly changing weather, unique geological features, and breathtaking vistas in this immersive display, offering a rare opportunity to discover a place beyond reach. 

During this lunchtime lecture, Sooa McCormick, Korea Foundation Curator of Korean Art, introduces her research on the historical accounts used in the content of this groundbreaking exhibition, and Jane Alexander, chief digital information officer, provides a rare window into the production process for immersive digital experiences and a glimpse into what’s next.

To learn more and register for this informative talk on Zoom, click here.

Standing Screen, Li Ailian, 19th century, Gift of Mrs. Elizabeth M. Smith

The Eaddo & Peter Kiernan Lecture
China and Newport: A Journey through Two Centuries
Tuesday, August 6th at 6pm EDT
Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI
Free in-person or via Zoom

Join The Preservation Society of Newport County for China and Newport: A Journey through Two Centuries, one of their annual Eaddo & Peter Kiernan Lectures next Tuesday, August 6th. Their Curatorial Research Fellow, Dani Zhang, will discuss her exploration of Chinese artwork and objects, many produced for a Western market, held in the collection of The Preservation Society of Newport County. Through a close examination of materials, forms and motifs, she will illuminate the nuanced relationship between Chinese art, American collecting and display practices from the China Trade as part of the Gilded Age.

Many of these works were showcased in their groundbreaking exhibition at Rosecliff, The Celestial City: Newport and China, which has just been honored by the American Association for State and Local History with its Award of Excellence. This prestigious award is a tribute to the thorough and thoughtful work of their Curator of Collections, Dr. Nicole Williams, and staff researchers who uncovered untold stories of Newport’s history: the contributions of Chinese and Chinese American individuals to life in Newport from the 18th century through the Gilded Age. We congratulate them on this great honor!

To learn more and register for the lecture, click here.

Installation view, Master Brushworks, Kapoor Galleries

This week’s Gallery Spotlight shines upon the multigenerational family business, Kapoor Galleries. Founded in 1975 with a passion for preserving and celebrating the rich tapestry of Asian art, this long-standing gallery specializes in Indian & Himalayan Arts. It has been and continues to be an invaluable resource for museum quality works of art for art enthusiasts, collectors, and scholars alike. Notable for its breadth and depth, the collection has seen pieces accessioned by prestigious institutions, further solidifying the gallery’s status in the art world.

Looking ahead, Kapoor Galleries remains dedicated to exploring new dimensions in the world of Asian art. Whether through innovative digital experiences, collaborative projects, or educational initiatives, the gallery continues to push the boundaries, ensuring that the beauty and wisdom of Asian art remain accessible and relevant to future generations.

Be sure to catch their current exhibit, Master Brushworks, featuring recent work by Tibetan artist Pema Rinzin, in dialogue with notable pieces from the gallery’s collection before it closes August 6th.  The exhibition highlights the intricacy of ancient Tibetan artistic practices while illustrating the lineage of tradition through the contemporary pieces of Rinzin.

To learn more about this exhibition, click here for the online catalog.

Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858), Plum Estate, Kameido (Kameido Umeyashiki), no. 30 from 100 Famous Views of Edo, 11th month of 1857, woodblock print, 14 3/16 × 9 1/4 in. (36 × 23.5 cm), Brooklyn Museum; Gift of Anna Ferris, 30.1478.30. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo (feat. Takashi Murakami)
Closing August 4, 2024
Teen Pop-Up Talk, Wednesday, July 31, 2-3pm (free with admission)
Scent Tours: Hiroshige’s Seasons, Thursday, August 1, 6:30-8pm ($35)
Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing and Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery, 5th Fl.

This is the last week to catch one of Brooklyn Museum’s greatest treasures—Utagawa Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo — before the exhibit closes this Sunday, August 4th!

Experience 19th century Edo (now Tokyo) through the eyes of revered Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige. From flowering gardens to picnics in the park, from summer rainstorms to fireworks over the water—you’ll be transported through space and time, brought into the intimacies of a city by an artist who loved it well.

Contemporary artist Takashi Murakami also created his own set of wondrous, fantastical paintings directly inspired by Hiroshige’s prints. These works invite you to reconsider Hiroshige’s world and his contributions to global art history.

This exhibition marks the first time in more than two decades that the prints are on public display. They have been stored in the dark to preserve their vibrancy, so see them while you can!

Also join the exhibition’s two public programs this week: A Teen Pop-Up Talk on Wednesday, July 31st and Scent Tour on Thursday, August 1st!

For more details and to view videos of the exhibition, click here.

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.