The Met — “Embracing Color: Enamel in Chinese Decorative Arts, 1300–1900”
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, USA
This exhibition reveals the aesthetic, technical, and cultural achievement of Chinese enamel wares by demonstrating the transformative role of enamel. From the late 14th–15th century, porcelain with overglaze enamels was developed along with the introduction of cloisonné enamel from the West, leading to a palette shift from monochromatic to colourful. From the late 17th–18th century, European enamelling techniques were brought to the Qing court and more subtle and varied colour tones were developed on enamels applied over porcelain, metal, glass, and other mediums. In both moments, Chinese artists actively created new colours and styles that reflected their own taste.
HK Palace Museum — “Stories Untold, Figure Paintings of the Ming Dynasty from the Palace Museum”
Hong Kong Palace Museum, 8 Museum Drive, Hong Kong
The exhibition presents 81 sets (97 pieces) of works by around 60 Ming dynasty (1368–1644) painters from the Palace Museum collection, among which 14 sets (16 pieces) are national grade-one cultural relics. Each group will showcase the artistic pursuits and achievements of court painters, literati painters, and professional painters from the early, middle, and late periods of the Ming dynasty. It will unveil fascinating stories about the painters and the painted and show the multifaceted lives and spiritual world of people living during the Ming dynasty.
Rubin Museum of Art — “Masterworks: A Journey through Himalayan Art”
150 West 17th St., New York, NY 10011, USA
This exhibition explores major strands in the development of art from the Himalayan region covering a period of more than one thousand years, with objects drawn primarily from the Rubin Museum’s collection. The presentation is organised geographically and chronologically, showcasing the diverse regional traditions of Tibet in relation to the neighboring areas of Eastern India, Kashmir, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Mongolia. Juxtaposing the art of Himalayan regions over time sheds light on the geographic, historical, religious, and artistic interrelationships among these cultures. Discover more in the Rubin Museum of Art’s online collection search.
The Met — “Indian Skies: The Howard Hodgkin Collection of Indian Court Painting”
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, USA
British artist Howard Hodgkin (1932–2017) formed a collection of Indian paintings and drawings that is recognised 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.
HKMoA — “Love Letters: Everlasting Sentiments from the Xubaizhai Collection”
Hong Kong Museum of Art, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Over the centuries, Chinese artists have often suffused their painting, calligraphy and poetry with sentiments. Like love letters, their works of art are intimate whispers of affection murmuring eternal emotions. With love letter as the theme, the exhibition features 29 sets of selected collections from the Xubaizhai Collection, inviting the audience to discover the reserved and implicit emotions encapsulated in Chinese painting and calligraphy.
Alisan Fine Arts — “Shifting Landscapes”
120 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065, USA
This solo exhibition, at Alisan Fine Arts’ recently opened New York gallery, celebrates the art of pioneering ink artist Lui Shou-Kwan (1919–1975). Lui’s first exhibition in New York presents transformative works from the artist’s career that bridge tradition and modernity while sparking new dialogue in the international art community. Lui was a vanguard figure of the New Ink Movement in Hong Kong, a movement that reimagined the Chinese Ink tradition and flourished from the 1950s to 1970s. Extremely influential to generations of artists after him, Lui was instrumental in transforming traditional Chinese ink painting into a modern, global art form.
Japan Society — “None Whatsoever: Zen Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen Collection”
333 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017, USA
Often playful, sometimes comical, and always profound, Zen paintings represent one of the world’s most fascinating religious and artistic traditions. This exhibition explores the origins of Zen Buddhism through over four centuries of ink paintings and calligraphies by painter-monks, who expressed Zen Buddhist teachings through their art. Visitors will also be invited to engage with Zen Buddhist practices through wide-ranging public programming, from in-gallery meditation sessions to calligraphy workshops and tea ceremony demonstrations.
Bowers Museum — “Asian Comics: Evolution of an Art Form”
2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California, USA
This exhibition presents the largest ever selection of original artworks from Asian comics, displayed alongside their printed, mass-produced forms. This exhibition is a vivid journey through the art of comics and visual storytelling across Asia. From its historical roots to the most recent digital innovations, the exhibition looks to popular Japanese manga and beyond, highlighting key creators, characters, and publications. It features over 400 works—the largest selection of artworks from the continent—including Japanese woodblock prints, Hindu scroll paintings, digital media, printed comics, and contemporary illustrations.
Joan B. Mirviss — “Eternal Partnership: Japanese Ceramics In Blue/White”
39 East 78th Street, Suite 401, New York, NY 10075, USA
Blue and white, a visually striking colour combination in the finest art across Asia for centuries, is found in all types of Japanese art. This exhibition explores this aesthetic via the Kyoto-based Kondō family, distinguished masters of sometsuke (cobalt blue and white porcelain). Across generations, their mastery culminates in the work of the featured gallery artist, Kondō Takahiro (b. 1958). In addition to the Kondō artists, the presentation will showcase past masters such as Hamada Shōji, Kawai Kanjirō, Kitaōji Rosanjin, Kamoda Shōji, and Kusube Yaichi, and by younger contemporary talents such as Inaba Chikako and Imai Sadamasa.
Kaikodo — “A Discovery of Dragons”
Online Exhibition
This online exhibition will showcase a Chinese Cizhou-ware Ceramic Pillow with Double-phoenix. This stoneware pillow is a breath-taking example of a technique for producing ceramic decoration perfected by Cizhou potters during the 11th century of the Song dynasty in northern China. The remarkable precision apparent in the production of the rare double-phoenix design on the headrest of the pillow and the density and intricate placement of the stamped rings forming the ground are exemplary, producing an effect that is as close to refined metal ware decoration as a potter could get. Exhibition will be available on www.kaikodo.com.
Rubin Museum of Art — “Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now”
150 West 17th St., New York, NY 10011, USA
Contemplate and celebrate what Himalayan art means now with a Museum-wide exhibition of artworks by over 30 contemporary artists, many from the Himalayan region and diaspora and others inspired by Himalayan art and cultures. The exhibition includes new commissions, some site-specific, and existing works juxtaposed with objects from the Museum’s collection, inviting new ways of encountering traditional Himalayan art through a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, sound, video, installation, performance, and more.
HK Palace Museum — “Yuan Ming Yuan: Art and Culture of an Imperial Garden-Palace”
Hong Kong Palace Museum, 8 Museum Drive, Hong Kong
This exhibition sheds new light on Yuanming yuan (Garden of Perfect Brightness) by featuring over 190 paintings, architectural models, and other works associated with this imperial garden-palace that served as the principal residence of five Qing emperors. The presentation highlights the life and aesthetic tastes of the emperors, festivals, and the relationship between members of the imperial family.
The Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago — “Meiji Modern: Fifty Years of New Japan”
5550 S. Greenwood Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
This exhibition takes a fresh look at the art of Japan’s Meiji era (1868–1912), four decades that propelled the country into the modern era. Comprising nearly 150 artworks—of paintings, prints, photographs, sculptural works, and objects in various media, such as enamel, lacquer, embroidery, and textiles—the show presents some of the finest Meiji artworks in American collections. It emphasises modern Japanese artists’ engagement with both European and Asian trends and the concurrent invention of “classical Japan” as a category.
HKMoA — “Art of Gifting: The Fuyun Xuan Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles”
Hong Kong Museum of Art, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Epitomising the finest skills of Chinese artisans, small and delicate snuff bottles became popular among nobilities and high-ranking officials since emerging in the early Qing dynasty, and were often given as precious gifts in diplomatic, official and social settings. This exhibition showcases the whole of a set of 490 Chinese snuff bottles from the Fuyun Xuan Collection donated by Mr Christopher Sin and Mrs Josephine Sin, and with the theme of gifting, the audience is invited to step into the unique, kaleidoscopic world of these miniature yet precious gifts.
The Gustav Klimt Sale
Auction house im Kinsky, Freyung 4, 1010 Vienna, Austria
The auction house im Kinsky presents rediscovered masterpiece of Austrian Modernism: the Portrait of Fräulein Lieser, one of the last works created by Gustav Klimt. The painting was previously considered lost. For many decades, this important work of art has been privately owned by an Austrian citizen, unknown to the public.
The exhibition of the painting will take place from 13–21 April, 10am–5pm.
Auction date: 24/04/24, 5pm