HK Palace Museum — “Treasures of the Mughal Court from the Victoria and Albert Museum”
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.
HK Palace Museum —”A History of China in Silk: The Chris Hall Collection”
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”
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.
Phoenix Art Museum — “Splendours of East Asian Cloisonné”
Phoenix Art Museum, 625 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004
The Asian Art Collection of Phoenix Art Museum is home to a distinctive collection of cloisonné vessels from China and Japan. After four centuries of development in China, the art of making cloisonné spread to Japan, where artisans expanded the form with new colour palettes, ceramic base vessels, enlarged cell areas, optical effects and varied textures. The exhibition showcases outstanding examples of cloisonné vessels from both China and Japan made from the 16th through the 20th centuries. This presentation illuminates the shared heritage and subtle distinctions between the two prominent centres of production, showcasing the technical brilliance and innovations that propelled the art form to its zenith.
UMAG, HKU — “Handmade and Handheld: Song to Qing Dynasty Chinese Bronzes for the Scholar’s Studio”
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”
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.
UMAG, HKU — “Japanese Jewels: Imperial Silver Bonbonnières”
University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
“Japanese Jewels: Imperial Silver Bonbonnières” showcases precious boxes that embody Japan’s imperial ceremonial traditions from the Meiji era onwards. Crafted from pure silver with gold inlays and enamel, these exquisite containers feature auspicious motifs symbolising longevity, prosperity and harmony. The exhibition explores both creation and reception—master artisans like Kobayashi, Miyamoto and Muramatsu who upheld court traditions through exceptional craftsmanship and distinguished recipients from nobles to foreign envoys. These bonbonnières exemplify how European court practices were refined through Japanese aesthetics, becoming powerful symbols of modern sovereignty. Their evolution from Meiji modernisation to Reiwa minimalism reveals the material culture of power and the visual language of Japan’s imperial identity.
HK Palace Museum —”Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums”
Hong Kong Palace Museum, 8 Museum Drive, Hong Kong
Originating over 7000 years ago along the Nile, the ancient Egyptian civilisation established its pharaonic rule and belief systems around 3000 BCE. The culture flourished through the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, reaching its zenith before integrating with other cultures like those in the Mediterranean. This exhibition showcases 250 treasures from seven Egyptian museums and the Saqqara archaeological site. It is divided into four sections: “The Land of Pharaohs”, “The World of Tutankhamun”, “The Secrets of Saqqara” and “Ancient Egypt and the World”. The collection, featuring statues, gold ornaments and mummy coffins, explores nearly 5000 years of Egyptian politics, art, daily life and religion, including the latest archaeological findings from Saqqara.
Art Museum, CUHK — “Yuan Blue and White: New Discoveries from Jingdezhen”
Harold and Christina Lee Gallery, Lo Kwee Seong Pavilion, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
“Yuan Blue and White: New Discoveries from Jingdezhen” showcases recent archaeological finds from Jingdezhen, including specimens from 2023 and 2024, alongside museum collections. Organised by the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute, the exhibition explores the cross-cultural exchanges during the Mongol-Yuan period that led to the emergence of this globally influential porcelain. Divided into three sections, the exhibit guides visitors through the history, production processes and global impact of Yuan blue and white porcelain. It highlights the technical and aesthetic exchanges in its manufacture and its extensive reach via maritime trade, illustrating ancient China’s significant contribution to world culture through ceramics.
UMAG, HKU — “Zhao Hai Tien—Cultivation: 50 Years of Painting”
University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong
The exhibition is a major retrospective honouring the artist’s profound five-decade journey. A pioneering figure in modern Chinese art, Zhao trained in New York, where she masterfully synthesised Eastern traditions with Western modernity. Her oeuvre charts a compelling evolution from the bold abstractions of her early career to a deeply meditative and cosmic visual language, consistently exploring themes of spirituality, identity and transcendence. Noted for its remarkable diversity of media, Zhao’s practice marries technical precision with expressive freedom. She reimagines abstraction not merely as an aesthetic pursuit, but as a vehicle for profound spiritual enquiry. Now in her eighties, Zhao continues to paint with unwavering dedication, her work standing as a testament to a life spent navigating cross-cultural intersections with enduring resilience and depth.
M+ Museum — “Zao Wou-Ki: Master Printmaker”
Main Hall Gallery, M+, West Kowloon Cultural District
Asia’s first major retrospective dedicated to the graphic works of the influential Chinese-French abstract artist. Spanning five decades from 1949 to 2000, the exhibition explores printmaking as a crucial and experimental dimension of Zao’s oeuvre. Featuring nearly 180 works, it traces his artistic journey: from early encounters with lithography and etching in post-war Paris to his decisive shift towards abstraction, where he visualised imaginary landscapes with dynamic, gestural lines and bold colours. The collection showcases how Zao transcended boundaries, creating a mature synthesis of Eastern and Western artistic traditions and positioning him as a pre-eminent cross-cultural figure of the 20th century.
National Gallery Singapore — “Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise”
City Hall Wing, Level B1, The Ngee Ann Kongsi Concourse Gallery
This exhibition celebrates the fearless artistic journeys of five pioneering Southeast Asian women: Amanda Heng, Dolorosa Sinaga, Imelda Cajipe Endaya, Nirmala Dutt and Phaptawan Suwannakudt. Drawing its title from Sinaga’s sculpture, the exhibition redefines “power” as inner strength, care and collective resistance. It guides visitors through three zones, moving from the personal body and memory to acts of social and political refusal, and culminating in the collective imagining of new worlds. Through performance, sculpture, painting and more, these artists challenged patriarchal norms and addressed pressing social issues. The exhibition invites visitors to reflect on their own capacity for courage and community building, inspired by these trailblazing legacies.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art —“The Infinite Artistry of Japanese Ceramics”
The Met Fifth Avenue in Galleries 223–232
This exhibition showcases approximately 350 extraordinary works spanning Japan’s rich ceramic history, from hand-built figurines rooted in spiritual beliefs to contemporary sculptural art. Featuring pieces from the Museum’s Harry G. C. Packard Collection, it marks the 50th anniversary of this landmark acquisition. The display traces pottery’s evolution over 12,000 years, highlighting mediaeval influences from China and Korea, and the unique Japanese art of kintsugi—repairing broken ceramics with gold lacquer. Visitors will discover everyday tableware, vessels for tea ceremonies, and Edo period porcelain adorned with nature motifs and symbols of happiness, longevity and good fortune. By presenting ceramics alongside lacquers, textiles and paintings, the exhibition provides rich cultural context, deepening appreciation for Japanese ceramic artistry and its diverse forms and functions.
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art — “Memoryscapes”
Gl. Strandvej 13, 3050 Humlebæk, Denmark
This is the second exhibition in the “Architecture Connecting” series, presents the work of two studios: DnA Architecture and ATTA. Led by Xu Tiantian and Tsuyoshi Tane, they delve into the past through precise interventions and broad archaeological investigation. Building on stories, recollections and traditions, their work seeks to create new architectural solutions and narratives. Whilst connecting social traditions, cultural heritage and craftsmanship, they form a bridge between past, present and future. The exhibition spotlights architecture’s connections to anthropology, archaeology and geology, showing how the human narrative is central to creating space for the dreams of future generations. From small, significant interventions to large-scale investigations, their work transforms landscapes and creates new social spaces.
Museum of Fine Arts Boston — “Divine Color: Hindu Prints from Modern Bengal”
465 Huntington Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Step into a world where art, devotion and technology converge. “Divine Color: Hindu Prints from Modern Bengal” unveils the captivating story of how 19th century lithography, introduced in Calcutta, the heart of British India, revolutionised Indian society. Once dismissed as inexpensive “calendar art”, these mass-produced prints of Hindu deities became a powerful force, making devotional images more realistic, vibrant and accessible to all. This exhibition explores how Bengali artists harnessed this new medium, transforming not only home worship but also artistic tastes and political discourse. Featuring over 100 objects, including rare 19th century lithographs, the collection highlights how these widely circulated prints reshaped the visual and cultural landscape of a nation, leaving an indelible mark on its popular, religious and social life.
The British Museum — “Samurai”
The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
The samurai, initially a warrior class (bushi) gaining power from the 1100s, evolved significantly. During a long period of peace starting in 1615, they transitioned from the battlefield to an elite social class, including women, who became leaders in government, scholarship and the arts. The exhibition reveals this complex reality, contrasting it with the later, invented tradition of bushido (the “way of the warrior”), which was harnessed for colonial expansion. Through historical artefacts like armour and luxury objects, alongside modern influences in fashion and gaming, the exhibition offers a candid look at the real men and women who shaped the enduring global legacy of the samurai. Discover the true story of the legendary Japanese samurai in this sweeping exhibition, moving beyond a millennium of myth.
Minneapolis Institute of Art — “Year of the Horse: Hoofbeats through Time”
Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
This exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art is a profound exploration of the equine motif within the canon of Chinese art and culture. Spanning millennia, the horse has traversed the Chinese cultural landscape, serving as a potent cultural emblem and a recurring subject in artistic expression—from its utilitarian role as a chariot puller to its symbolic status as a zodiacal sign and a poetic metaphor for aspiration. The exhibition traces this rich lineage across diverse media, encompassing ritual bronzes, meticulously rendered scholar’s miniatures, monumental imperial scrolls and popular artistic forms. As the world welcomes the Year of the Horse, this collection offers a compelling scholarly reflection on the animal’s enduring significance, revealing a complex interplay of mythology, mobility and the ideals of strength and virtue in the Chinese aesthetic tradition.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art — “Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms”
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560
The exhibition showcases forty-eight exquisite paintings and coloured drawings from India’s Himalayan kingdoms, created between 1620 and 1830. Juxtaposing canonical masterpieces with never-before-seen works, the collection reveals the ingenuity of artists who skilfully blended local and transregional traditions. The artworks are celebrated for their intricate details and vibrant, stylised visuals, crafted with opaque watercolours made from ground pigments, beetle wings and even gold. Challenging traditional art histories, the exhibition explores the impact of artistic collaboration on creativity during this period. It invites visitors to appreciate the boldness of abstractions, the nuances of love and the many clever, humorous and awe-inspiring details that define these treasured examples of Indian painting.