ASIA WEEK

Kondō Takahiro in his studio, Yamashina, Kyoto (2017); Credit: Kondō Takahiro

Zoom Webinar
Kondō Takahiro: The Thinking Hand
Tuesday, February 20 at 5pm EST

Asia Week New York is pleased to present our upcoming webinar celebrating one of Japan’s most admired ceramists, Kondō Takahiro, whose work is featured in the Brooklyn Museum exhibition Porcelains in the Mist.  Kondō’s forebears specialized in wheel-thrown vessels with painted decoration, but he has pushed the limits of the ceramic medium to create art of broader significance.

Our panel of curators and historians will trace Kondō’s career, explain the thinking behind the Brooklyn display, discuss the haunting Reduction body sculptures, and set his work in a global context. Speaking live from Kyoto, Kondō will introduce his recent projects. The webinar will conclude with a dialogue between the artist and catalogue author Joe Earle.

PANELISTS:

Glenn Adamson is a curator, writer and historian based in New York and London.
Joan Cummins has served as Lisa and Bernard Selz Curator of Asian Art at the Brooklyn Museum since 2007.
Xiaojin Wu currently serves as the Luther W. Brady Curator of Japanese Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Kondō Takahiro, artist.

Moderated by Joe Earle, former chief curator of Asian art departments in museums in London and Boston, who over the last 40 years has presented numerous exhibitions of Japanese ceramics.

Register here to join this free event.

Image courtesy of Fu Qiumeng Fine Art

Yau Wing Fung Artist Talk & Demonstration
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Artist Talk: 11am-12pm (Free to Public)
Demonstration: 3:30-4:30pm ($12 Limit to 18 guests)
Live In-Person at 65 E. 80th St, NYC and Livestream

Join Fu Qiumeng Fine Art this Saturday for an Artist Talk and Demonstration with Yau Wing Fung, whose solo exhibition, Illusion, is currently on view through March 9, 2024.

The evolution of Chinese philosophy and cosmic perspectives has fostered a distinctive spatial awareness in traditional Chinese landscape art. Ancient painters, in depicting landscapes, forged a profound connection between their inner world and the natural realm, giving rise to the technique of “以小观大, or viewing the large through the small.” Yau, in his artistic endeavors, seeks to broaden these pictorial perspectives by integrating timeless wisdom with contemporary viewpoints. In this artist talk, Yau will delve into his reflection on the evolving cosmic consciousness in landscape painting, spanning across history and into the present day.

Then, during the afternoon demonstration, Yau Wing Fung will invite and guide guests to join an immersive experience in Chinese ink landscape painting. This hands-on opportunity allows you to explore the connection between brush and mind, immersing yourselves in the meditative essence of ink art.

The lecture is free and open to the public while the demonstration is ticketed. Both will be simultaneously conducted onsite and online.

To learn more and RSVP, click here.

Installation view of Floating Vessels: Stoneware by Mitsukuni Misaki at Ippodo Gallery

Floating Vessels: Stoneware by Mitsukuni Misaki
Closing Thursday, February 15, 2024

Showcasing over 30 of Misaki’s latest works, ranging from small vases to majestic containers, this exhibition at Ippodo Gallery explores the master ceramicist’s modern and hand-coiled forms and marks his return to New York after six years.
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Misaki received training in four classical kiln techniques: kutani, uchiharano, aizu hongo, and bizen. This research guided Misaki to begin his own kiln in 1979, where he maintains his secluded and contemplative practice nearly half a century later.

Mitsukuni Misaki’s creations, reminiscent of the timeless ceramics of ancient civilizations, stretch out like a boundless horizon, inviting viewers to connect with the rich legacy of craftsmanship.  Be sure to visit and witness the evolution of Misaki’s artistic journey before the show closes tomorrow.

To learn more, click here.

Installation view of Kishino Kan

Shibunkaku Kyoto
Kishino Kan
February 16 – 24, 2024

Shibunkaku is pleased to present their latest exhibition of new works by ceramic artist Kishino Kan for the first time in five years at Shibunkaku Kyoto. Born from the synergy of earth, fire, and the artist’s skillful hands, these vessels were created in a newly-built kiln The gallery will be open every day during the exhibit, and they look forward to welcoming you soon.

To learn more and view the works, click here.

Installation view of David Breashears’s Mount Everest, Main Rongbuk Glacier, Tibet, China, 2007

COAL + ICE
February 13 – August 11, 2024
Opening Reception: Tuesday, February 13, 6-8:30 pm (Members only with RSVP)

Asia Society is proud to present COAL + ICE, an immersive photography and video exhibition that visualizes the causes and consequences of the climate crisis and foregrounds creative solutions.  The exhibit will be accompanied by a series of related programs.

COAL + ICE brings together the work of more than 37 photographers and artists from China and around the world, and traces a photographic arc from deep within coal mines to the melting glaciers of the greater Himalaya, and across the globe where rising sea levels and extreme weather events are wreaking havoc. The imagery in COAL + ICE is drawn from diverse materials, from glass plate negatives to smartphone videos, spanning more than a century. Through intimate portraits and vast altered landscapes, these photographs document the consequences triggered by our continued reliance on fossil fuels. The exhibition brings to life the environmental and human costs of climate change, while also highlighting the innovative solutions that provide hope for a more sustainable future.

Throughout the run of the exhibition, climate change will take center stage at Asia Society, including speaker events, performances, films, and more. Asia Society has joined forces with a network of partner organizations across New York City’s five boroughs to concurrently present exhibitions and events, expanding the conversation to inspire deeper engagement on how the climate crisis affects our global and local communities.

To learn more the exhibit and its programs, click here.

Paul Binnie (Scottish, b. 1967), Famous Views of Japan: Red Fuji, Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi (78/100), (Nihon meisho zu-e: Red Fuji, Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi)

IFPDA Print Fair
Park Avenue Armory
February 15–18, 2024
VIP Preview: Thursday, February 15, 5-9pm (invitation and VIP pass only)

Scholten Japanese Art is pleased to be participating in the upcoming International Fine Print Dealers Association Print Fair opening next Thursday, February 15th at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. In addition to exhibiting a classic selection of Japanese woodblock prints by Edo Period masters such as Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) and Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), they are delighted to announce that for the first time Scottish printmaker Paul Binnie (b. 1967) will be attending the fair and demonstrating both woodblock carving and printing in the gallery’s booth.

Scholten has had a long-term connection with Binnie, who is internationally known as one of the leading exponents of traditional style printmaking, and his work can be found in many important collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York City and the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington D.C.

Binnie trained in woodblock printing in Tokyo for almost six years from 1993, and the gallery just celebrated his thirtieth year of printmaking with a highly successful solo exhibition in 2023.

Binnie will be present at the gallery stand during the four days of the fair and will demonstrate both carving and printing on alternate days. A wide selection of the artist’s work will be available to view, including some rare and highly sought-after designs, as well as new works and a preview of upcoming print projects.

To learn more, click here.

Yau Wing Fung: Illusion 邱荣丰：幻真 opening at Fu Qiumeng Fine Art

Yau Wing Fung: Illusion 邱荣丰：幻真
February 10 – March 9, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, February 10th, 3-6pm
Artist Talk & Demonstration: Saturday, February 17th

Fu Qiumeng Fine Art is delighted to present Yau Wing Fung’s latest solo exhibition, Illusion, where the artist’s works encapsulate a creative journey spanning the past five years, revealing ink landscapes that seamlessly transcend the boundaries of tradition and contemporaneity.

Yau Wing Fung finds artistic inspiration in the spatio-temporal aesthetics of traditional Chinese ink paintings. With each brushstroke gracefully traversing the paper, he contemplates the undulations of the landscapes, immersing himself in ancient wisdom that highlights a harmonious connection with the flow of the world. Simultaneously, his acute awareness of the shift in visual experience leads him to seamlessly interweave the classical poetic hermitude and the versatility of the digital present; his artworks whisper timeless wisdom but in contemporary terms. From the foundational Looming series to the recent Meta and Into series, Yau’s artistic creativity consistently challenges conventional modes of viewing landscapes. In Illusion, the artist delves into the rhythmic beauty and constructive qualities of traditional ink paintings, reconfiguring the pictorial space to engage with the ever-evolving human experience in the digital age, prompting contemplation that transcends our recognition of the immediate surroundings, both spatially and temporally.

The project is supported by JCCAC’s Professor Mayching Kao Arts Development Fund.

To learn more, click here.

An Elephant and Keeper, India, Mughal, ca. 1650–60, opaque color and gold on paper; Howard Hodgkin Collection, Purchase, Florence and Herbert Irving Acquisitions, Harris Brisbane Dick, and 2020 Benefit Funds; Howard S. and Nancy Marks, Lila Acheson Wallace, and Friends of Islamic Art Gifts; Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest; and funds from various donors, 2022 (2022.187)

Indian Skies: The Howard Hodgkin Collection of Indian Court Painting
February 6 – June 9, 2024

Over the course of sixty years, British artist Howard Hodgkin (British, London 1932–2017 London) formed a collection of Indian paintings and drawings that is recognized as one of the finest of its kind. A highly regarded painter and printmaker, Hodgkin collected works from the Mughal, Deccani, Rajput, and Pahari courts dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries that reflect his personal passion for Indian art. This exhibition presents over 120 of these works, many of which The Met recently acquired, alongside loans from The Howard Hodgkin Indian Collection Trust.

The works on view include stunning portraits, beautifully detailed text illustrations, studies of the natural world, and devotional subjects. The exhibition also includes a painting by Hodgkin, Small Indian Sky, which alludes to the subtle relationship between his own work, India, and his collection.

This exhibition is accompanied by an issue of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin.

To learn more, click here.

Canton Harbor Scene, attributed to Yeuqua (Chinese active 1850-1885)

The Preservation Society of Newport County – Rosecliff
The Celestial City: Newport and China
Closing Sunday, February 11, 2024

There’s still time to head over to the historic and grand Newport Mansions to view their exhibition, The Celestial City: Newport and China and explore China’s deep influence on Newport from the 18th century through the Gilded Age (1865-1915), when the city emerged as America’s premier summer playground and the fall of China’s last imperial dynasty transformed the ancient nation.

The extraordinary objects on display include more than 100 works from the Preservation Society’s collection and other institutions in a range of media, from paintings, sculptures, prints and photographs to fashion, ceramics, lacquerwares and lanterns.

Highlights include treasures of Chinese art collected by Newport merchants and industrialists; photographs and stories from Newport’s early Chinese community; and the writings, portraits and family heirlooms of Chinese women suffragists. Contemporary artworks by Yu-Wen Wu and Jennifer Ling Datchuk illuminate Chinese contributions to Newport as well as hidden connections between the Newport mansions and the Chinese-American experience.

To prepare for your visit, watch our insightful webinar discussion with the exhibit’s curator, Dr. Nicole Williams and Dr. Bing Huang, Assistant Professor of Art History at Providence College, Rhode Island here.

To learn more about the exhibition, click here.