Arts of Asia Calendar

Rubin Museum — “Project Himalayan Art”

1 January, 2024 to 1 January, 2026

Online and Various Locations

Project Himalayan Art is an interdisciplinary resource for learning about Himalayan, Tibetan, and Inner Asian art and cultures. This three part-initiative is designed to support the inclusion of these cultures into undergraduate teaching on Asia and presents Himalayan art to the general public. The project focuses on cross-cultural exchange with Tibet at the center and Buddhism as the thread that connects the diverse cultural regions. The Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art presents exhibitions, projects, and collaborative initiatives that deepen awareness of Himalayan art and cultures.

V&A — “Cartier”

12 April, 2025 to 16 November, 2025

V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, United Kingdom

Featuring more than 350 objects, the exhibition will chart the evolution of the house’s legacy of art, design and craftsmanship since the turn of the 20th century. The exhibition will include precious jewels and showstopping objects, historic gemstones, iconic watches and clocks from the V&A and Cartier Collection, as well as previously unseen drawings from the V&A and Cartier archives, together with works lent from the Royal Collection, major UK and international museums, and private collections. Highlights will include the Williamson Diamond brooch commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 featuring the rare 23.6 carat pink Williamson diamond; the Scroll Tiara commissioned in 1902 and worn to the coronation of Elizabeth II, among others.

UMAG, HKU — “Bamboo Baskets Chinese Origins, Japanese Innovations”

25 June, 2025 to 26 October, 2025

University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

This exhibition, comprising over 200 objects, offers an overview of the finest achievements of bamboo art in East Asia, reassessing the central role played by continental prototypes, or karamono (Chinese things), in the development of Japanese basketry over the past 150 years. The displays, with loans from both the Naej Collection (Germany) and the Muwen Tang Collection (Hong Kong), illustrate a wide range of weaving techniques, tracing the evolution of Ming and Qing dynasty vessels to their influence on Edo period artefacts and the innovative development of contemporary kogei, as well as the cultural context of the traditional tea ceremony and the related art of ikebana flower arrangement.

MUSEC — “Spirit of Simplicity. The Martin Kurer Collection”

17 July, 2025 to 16 November, 2025

Riva Antonio Caccia 5, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland

This exhibition presents an unprecedented dialogue between one of the world’s most important collections of traditional sculptures from the Philippine Cordillera and works of contemporary Asian art gathered by the Swiss collector Martin Kurer. The unique collection, capable of transcending space, time, and cultures, offers a profound reflection on the aesthetic and conceptual value of simplicity. On display are works from the Ifugao, Kalinga and Bontok peoples of the Cordillera (a mountainous region in the north of Luzon Island), and contemporary artworks by artists Li Shirui, Lao Lianben, Endo Toshikatsu, Zhang Lin Hai, Somboon Hormtientong and Francisco Pellicer Viri.

HK Palace Museum — “Treasures of the Mughal Court from the Victoria and Albert Museum”

6 August, 2025 to 23 February, 2026

Hong Kong Palace Museum, 8 Museum Drive, Hong Kong

Between the 1560s and the 1660s, the Mughal dynasty (1526–1857) in South Asia experienced its “golden age” as one of the world’s most powerful imperial families at the time. This century witnessed the reigns of three remarkable emperors: Akbar (r. 1556–1605), his son Jahangir (r. 1605–1627), and his grandson Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658). Part of the “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series”, this exhibition, jointly organised by the V&A and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, celebrates the extraordinary artistic achievements of the Mughal dynasty, focusing on the roles of the three emperors in shaping and developing the rich and diverse artistic traditions of the court, where cultural elements from South Asia, China, Iran, Europe, and beyond converged.

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia — “More than a Day as a Tiger: The Legacy of Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore”

6 August, 2025 to 11 January, 2026

Jalan Lembah Perdana 50480, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This landmark exhibition, the largest ever held, displays prized works from one of India’s most remarkable dynasties, from 1761 to 1799, when Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan ruled Mysore, becoming the most persistent obstacle to British empire-building. In the words of Tipu Sultan, “it is better to live as a tiger for a day than as a sheep for a hundred years”. He died fighting against the East India Company in 1799, but his legacy lives on in the artefacts created during this short dynasty. The exhibition delves into the symbolism, ideology and historical legacy that turned Tipu Sultan and Haider Ali into heroes of anti-colonial resistance who were later sidelined in their homeland.

HKMoA — “Engaging Past Wisdom: Min Chiu Society at Sixty-five”

30 August, 2025 to 14 January, 2026

Hong Kong Museum of Art, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

The distinguished members of the Min Chiu Society have long upheld the aspiration to “revere antiquity while diligently seeking knowledge”. Their practice transcends mere collecting, embracing instead a tradition of meticulous study and has gained international acclaim. In celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Society, this exhibition features over 400 sets of precious Chinese artefacts from their collections, including Chinese painting and calligraphy, ceramics, bronzes, lacquerware, jades, bamboo carvings, furniture and snuff bottles, for the enjoyment, appreciation and enlightenment for all.

HK Palace Museum —”A History of China in Silk: The Chris Hall Collection”

1 October, 2025 to 4 April, 2026

Hong Kong Palace Museum, 8 Museum Drive, Hong Kong

This exhibition explores China’s silk heritage through technological and artistic perspectives. Featuring over 100 spectacular textiles dating from the Neolithic period to the early 20th century, the display is organised into five chronological sections that reveal the evolution of Chinese society, clothing culture and global connections. For more than 5000 years, silk has been integral to Chinese civilisation, representing both technological achievement and artistic expression. As the birthplace of silk production, China developed sericulture—a remarkable process encompassing mulberry cultivation, silkworm breeding and weaving—that became fundamental to Chinese culture and economy. This exhibition, drawn from Chris Hall’s promised gift of nearly 3000 textile works, offers a colourful journey through China’s history as seen through its most celebrated material.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art — “Divine Egypt”

12 October, 2025 to 19 January, 2026

The Met Fifth Avenue, The Tisch Galleries, Gallery 899, 2nd floor

In ancient Egypt, images of gods were believed to bring the deities to life, forging a crucial link between the human and divine realms. The belief system encompassed over 1500 gods, each identifiable through visual cues like attire and symbols. “Divine Egypt” features nearly 250 art pieces and objects, many on loan from renowned institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Musée du Louvre. The exhibition explores key deities like Horus, Sekhmet and Osiris, showcasing how ancient Egyptians engaged with their gods. While kings accessed the gods directly in temples, ordinary people connected through rituals and personal offerings. This exhibition reveals the vital roles deities played in daily life, providing meaning in the face of uncertainty and death.

UMAG, HKU — “Handmade and Handheld: Song to Qing Dynasty Chinese Bronzes for the Scholar’s Studio”

24 October, 2025 to 8 February, 2026

University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong

This exhibition reveals how Chinese bronzes transformed from ancient ritual objects into refined scholarly companions. From the Song dynasty (960-1279) until the end of Qing (1644-1911), these works moved beyond their original ceremonial purposes to become treasured elements of literati culture—serving as both art objects and tools for intellectual contemplation. The display showcases how scholar-officials collected and created bronze incense burners, desk pieces, and archaistic vessels not merely as antiquarian curiosities, but as tangible connections to China’s past and embodiments of Confucian values. These bronzes represent a sophisticated cultural dialogue between historical reverence and artistic innovation that shaped Chinese intellectual tradition for nearly a millennium.

Minneapolis Institute of Art — “Royal Bronzes: Cambodian Art of the Divine”

25 October, 2025 to 18 January, 2026

Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404

Discover Cambodia’s Khmer Empire in “Royal Bronzes: Cambodian Art of the Divine”, a unique exhibition in partnership with the Guimet – National Museum of Asian Arts and the National Museum of Cambodia. While Angkor’s stone temples are famous worldwide, this exhibition showcases the empire’s stunning bronze artistry—sculptures, ritual objects and artefacts that embody artistic mastery, religious devotion and royal power. With over 200 pieces, including a monumental sculpture of the Hindu god Vishnu—a Cambodian national treasure—this exhibition offers a rare glimpse into Khmer bronze craftsmanship and its enduring cultural significance.

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