ASIA WEEK

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.

Soil to Splendor: The Art of Wood Fired Ceramics From Japan
February 8 – 22, 2024

Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. is pleased to present their forthcoming exhibition, Soil to Splendor: The Art of Wood Fired Ceramics From Japan opening next Thursday, February 8th.

Yakishime, or, more precisely, ceramics that are unglazed wares fired at extremely high temperatures, stand as a testament to one of the most ancient methods of pottery production in Japan. The tradition embodied in these primordial wares continues unbroken to this day. This exhibition focuses on modern and contemporary interpretations of this primordial craft, where the essence of ash and clay is reignited through new forms steeped in tradition.

This group exhibition invites viewers to savor the aesthetics of “Earthen tastes,” or Tsuchi-Aji  through Yakishime ceramics from Japan. Exhibited artists include: Kohara Yasuhiro, Isezaki Jun, Sugimoto Sadamitsu, Mori Togaku, Tsujimura Shiro, Shimizu Keiichi, Yabe Shunichi, Tanimoto Kei, and more.

To learn more, click here.

Dragon medallion, China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), 16th century, silk and metallic thread tapestry (kesi), overall: 15 x 15 in. (38.1 x 38.1 cm); Fletcher Fund, 1936 (36.65.33)

We welcome the New Lunar Year of the Dragon on February 10th and to commemorate this festive occasion, our local AWNY museums and institutions are planning an array of events and programs for all guests of all ages including lion dances, performances, hands-on activities, and more!

Throughout East Asia, this festive occasion is celebrated with a variety of traditions to encourage good health and prosperity in the coming year. While there are regional variations, the primary activities are cleaning one’s home, hanging red decorations for good luck, offering respect to one’s ancestors, visiting family, lighting firecrackers to ward off demons, gifting money in red packets to children and subordinates, and eating lots of food. Edibles that are thought to bring good fortune are fish, which is synonymous in Chinese with “surplus”; dumplings in the shape of silver ingots to ensure prosperity; and niangao, which symbolizes advancement in the New Year. Conversely, anything that might risk losing the holiday’s good luck, such as washing one’s hair or sweeping the floor, is avoided. This two-week celebration ends with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the New Year.

People born in the year of the dragon are considered charismatic, intelligent, confident and powerful, and they are naturally lucky and gifted. In everything that they do, they tend to do it to the best of their ability with high standards. Dragons also hold a significant place as auspicious and extraordinary creatures symbolizing power, nobility and honor and have, therefore, been widely depicted throughout the long history of Asian art.

Join the following events to celebrate this auspicious new year!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Celebrating the Year of the Dragon Exhibition
Saturday, February 3 – January 2025
Gallery 207
Free with Museum admission
Read more, click here

National Museum of Asian Art, Lunar New Year Family Festival
Saturday, February 3, 11am-4pm
Free attractions for all ages, including performances, chef talks, tours, hands-on activities, and more
Read more, click here

China Institute, Lunar New Year Family Festival 2024
Sunday, February 4, 2-5pm
Ticketed family festival with lion dancing, puppet performances, tea whisking and art workshops
Read more, click here

Rubin Museum of Art, Losar Family Day 2024
Sunday, February 11, 12-4pm
Hands-on art making and cultural demonstrations
Free
Read more, click here

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Family Festival: Lunar New Year
Sunday, February 11, 11am-3pm
Art and culture demonstrations by special artisans from Zhejiang province
Free with Museum admission
Read more, click here

Charles B. Wang Center, Chinese Paper Cutting Workshop and Fluttering Butterfly Performance
Sunday, February 11, 1-3pm Workshop and 4-5pm Performance
Stony Brook University
Ticketed events
Read more, click here

Zhang Xiaoli, Infinite Loop 江山无尽, 2023, Chinese ink and colour on silk 绢本水墨设色, 36 x 63 1/4 in. (91.4 x 160.7 cm)

Zhang Xiaoli: Whimsical Maze 张小黎: 清妙奇踪
Closing Saturday, February 3, 2024

There is still time to visit Fu Qiumeng Fine Art and experience the works of contemporary female artist Zhang Xiaoli in her inaugural North American solo exhibition Whimsical Maze 清妙奇踪.  This exhibition traces the poetic experiments of Eastern aesthetics intertwined with scientific concepts. Using the gentle and delicate technique of fine brushwork on silk and paper, Zhang Xiaoli constructs ethereal and wondrous parallel worlds, narrating realms of free interest amidst distortions and imagination.

In this recent work, Infinite Loop 江山无尽, Zhang Xiaoli draws inspiration from topology, notably the Möbius strip in topological geometry. This structure, with one surface and boundary, symbolizes infinity like an endless loop, embodying eternity and continuous flow. The artwork intricately combines elements like water‘s flow, fire’s intensity, wood‘s resilience, and stone’s stability. These elements intertwine with the Möbius strip‘s infinity and topology’s connectivity, representing the physical world‘s cycles of coming together and transformation. Zhang Xiaoli uses these interactions to explore the delicate link between nature and abstract concepts, creating a unified entity that blends the real and the ethereal, form and concept.

Be sure to visit to take in this painting and her other wondrous works before the exhibition closes this Saturday.

To learn more, click here.