Asian magazine, Summer 2015 by Asian Art Museum

SUMMER 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMER 2015 /// VOL. V, ISSUE ll The Asian Art Museum Magazine MAGAZINE STAFF Tim Hallman, Editor-in-Chief Kate Johnson, Director of Membership Amy Browne, Art Director / Graphic Designer Colin Winnette, Managing Editor Published by the Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art & Culture 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 415.581.3500 · www.asianart.org · magazine@asianart.org Copyright © 2015 Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Cover: Liberation No. 1 (detail), 2013, by Liu Wei (Chinese, b. 1972). Oil on canvas. Courtesy of Rubell Family Collection, Miami. © Liu Wei. Opposite: Guests at the Seduction opening party. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

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MUSEUM HOURS: Tue–Sun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 AM–5 PM Thu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 AM–9 PM Mon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Closed Visit www.asianart.org for additional closings and special hours.

AS ALWAYS, THANKS FOR READING AND SEE YOU AT THE MUSEUM!

SUMMER 2015 /// 1

FROM THE DIRECTOR JAY XU — This summer marks an exciting shift for the Asian Art Museum. Our special exhibitions 28 Chinese (see page 6) and First Look: Collecting Contemporary at the Asian (see page 12) present artwork exclusively by contemporary artists. Each show includes a staggering variety of styles and perspectives, and in this issue of Asian magazine, Allison Harding, guest curator, explores those differences, examining the unique ways these artists engage with tradition while taking bold steps forward. Meanwhile, an article on Exquisite Nature (see page 22) explores the core elements of early Chinese painting. This small but impressive exhibition features 20 masterpieces from some of the most influential Chinese painters of the 14th–18th centuries. Elsewhere in the issue, we go behind the scenes with our conservation team (see page 18) to look at the unexpected history behind a recent donation, and Jeff Durham, assistant curator of Himalayan art, introduces us to one of the most important figures in Buddhist art, the arhat (see page 28). This summer, we’re thrilled to bring you new artwork from some of the most notable contemporary artists working today, as well as a host of new opportunities to dig deeper into the past.

ART BITES

NEWS FROM THE ASIAN ART MUSEUM, THE BAY AREA AND AROUND THE WORLD

AND THE NOMINEES ARE … You never know where you’ll bump into an Academy Award nominee. If you’ve visited the Asian Art Museum in the last 12 years, it’s likely one greeted you at the admissions desk. Yukino Pang has been on our visitor services team since 2003. During that time, she’s also accomplished a few other things. In 2008, Pang coinitiated the Totoro Forest Project, along with a former art director from Pixar, Daisuke Tsutsumi (whom Pang met in one of the museum’s galleries). Together, they raised funds to help preserve Sayama Forest, the inspiration behind Hayao Miyazaki’s film My Neighbor Totoro. Pang’s next big project with Tsutsumi was Sketchtravel, a collaborative sketchbook shared by 71 artists across 12 countries. All proceeds from the book’s publication went to the international literacy nonprofit Room to Read. Following the success of these two ventures, Pang and Tsutsumi wanted to try something new, and came up with The Dam Keeper, an 18-minute animation about a young pig tasked with defending his village from an ever-encroaching “ocean of ash.” A.O. Scott, of The New York Times, called the film “complex and rewarding.” The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences agreed, nominating The Dam Keeper for an Oscar this year for Best Animated Short Film. The project marks Tsutsumi’s directorial debut, co-directing alongside visual artist Robert Kondo. Pang served as development producer. Although Patrick Osborne’s Feast ultimately took the Oscar back in February, The Dam Keeper was a notable success for all involved. “We weren’t doing it for an award,” says Pang. “I hadn’t worked on a film before. The director hadn’t directed. The producers hadn’t produced. Everyone was doing

For more information on The Dam Keeper visit thedamkeeper.com.

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Still from The Dam Keeper.

something they couldn’t do at their regular job. Something beyond what they do every day. If it fails, that’s fine. We just wanted to try something new and finish it. Otherwise, you cannot grow.” n

ART BITES

YOONG BAE: CONTINUITY AND PURSUIT Twenty years ago, the museum presented 21 muted and meditative paintings by Korean American artist Yoong Bae (1928–1992). These works were then donated to the collection, representing some of the first truly modernist works acquired by the

The artist Yoong Bae, posed with his sculpture work. Courtesy of the Bae family.

museum. Now, for the first time in two decades,

Meditation, 1991, by Yoong Bae (Korean, 1928–1992). Ink and colors on paper. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Gift of Kyung-Hee Bae in memory of Yoong Bae, 1994.70. © Estate of Yoong Bae. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

a focused selection of Bae’s paintings is on display in the museum’s Korean art galleries. These seven representative pieces will introduce the late artist’s hybridized works to a new generation of visitors. Bae was known for blending Korean artistic traditions with modern Western art while reflecting the calmness and harmony of someone at peace in this in-between space. Kalpana Desai, a museum docent during the first exhibition (and still a docent today), says, “Yoong Bae captures brilliantly the idea of living simultaneously in two cultures.” Those inspired by the new art in 28 Chinese (see page 6) and First Look: Collecting Contemporary at the Asian (see page 12) should swing by the second floor to view Bae’s work and learn more about the museum’s contemporary art legacy. The display continues through December 13. ■

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LADIES, GENTLEMEN, GIRLS AND BOYS, SAY HELLO TO REINA The results are in and voters picked “Reina” (Spanish for “queen”) as the nickname for our majestic bronze rhino. Fans from 22 countries — from Australia to China to Colombia — entered our Rhino Nickname Contest, submitting nearly 2,400 names. We narrowed those down to four final entries — Reina, Percy, Bao Bei and Suma — and asked you to vote for your pick. Reina was the clear favorite with 40 percent of the votes. The new official nickname speaks to the power and regal beauty of our beloved bronze rhino — and it’s also pretty cute. Bao Bei (寶貝) or “little precious one” will be the unofficial Chinese nickname. Reina is still the same rhino she’s always been, only now with a little more flair. Be sure to swing by Gallery 14 on the third floor of the museum to introduce yourself. ■

“Reina” the rhino.

EDUCATION & PUBLIC PROGRAMS

THE HIDDEN PARTS OF EVERYDAY LIFE

Where are your old couches? Your footstools or out-of-date sunglasses and iPhone cases? Once they’re in the trash or left on the corner for “big item pickup,” we tend to put household items out of mind. For interdisciplinary artist Ma Li (appearing at the museum on May 28), that’s where the fun begins. “I’m hoping to collect all kinds of plastic, like shopping bags and bottles, for the performance,” says Li in her studio, waving around a curtain rod taped to a sectioned plastic bottle like a wand. “I really care about how materials respond to the environment: to light, to wind, to gravity. I’m drawn to things that can pick up currents. This bottle makes a nice sound too.” Li is the February–May 2015 artist-in-residence at Recology (San Franciscans will recognize the name from the large recycling trucks that circulate the city). Recology offers six four-month artist residencies each year, along with three student residencies. Artists are provided with a studio and exclusive access to Recology’s Public Disposal and Recycling Area (a 48,500-square-foot space where city dwellers can dump small household items to be recycled). “You can’t imagine what people throw away,” says Deborah Munk, manager of the

Ma Li at work. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

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Major support for the Asian Art Museum's education programs is provided by the Estate of Dorothy J. Bakewell. Additional support is provided by Wells Fargo, The Charles D. and Frances K. Field Fund, Douglas A. Tilden, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, The Sato Foundation, Bonhams, The Joseph & Mercedes McMicking Foundation, Robert & Toni Bader Charitable Foundation, United Airlines, Dodge & Cox, and The Morrison & Foerster Foundation.

residency program. “It can be overwhelming, both emotionally and physically.” “I found a piano,” says Li, “and a big taiko drum. So I practice the piano every day and when school tours visit we always do something with the drum. I play it and have the kids do some simple dance routines with umbrellas, window blinds, whatever I find in the dump. It’s really inspired me for the next performance.”

EDUCATION & PUBLIC PROGRAMS

Li will lead our May 28 Artists Drawing Club, a program that invites local contemporary artists to use the museum as a platform for a new site-specific project. “I don’t know exactly what it will be yet, but I want to start with a simple dance performed by children,” says Li. “I’ll make a small light sculpture for each dancer, referencing the Chinese Lantern Festival.” Li was born in Fuzhou, China. She has lived in San Francisco for more than six years now, but her upbringing exerts a major influence on her work. “In China, we did everything as a group: schoolwide exercise routines, elaborate group choreography for celebrations and festivals. We were encouraged to be the same America encourages individuality far more than China, but I think there’s an interesting point where it can be balanced, when the community is engaged and individuality flourishes. I want to bridge people across age, culture and profession, and make art accessible. Anyone can make art. It’s just a matter of looking at things differently. Recology really supports that idea. These materials, garbage to some, have their own beauty. Discovering this hidden part of everyday life is important.” As Li digs through the piles at Recology, the particulars of her upcoming performance will shift and grow. “The material dictates everything,” says Li, “and the audience will also play a deciding role. It’s going to be a living sculpture, something we will build together.” n

To take part in Ma Li’s "living sculpture," join us in Samsung Hall on May 28, 6:30–9 PM. In addition to her performance at the museum, Li will have an exhibition at Recology on May 22 and May 23. Visit www.sfrecycling.com/ma-li for more details on this and other upcoming exhibitions at Recology.

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and act as one,” says Li. “So I’ve always been interested in collective actions and repetition.

Ma Li at work in Recology's garden. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

AI WEIWEI CHEN WEI CHEN ZHOU FANG LU HE XIANGYU HU QINGYAN HU XIANGQIAN HUANG RAN HUANG YONG PING LAN ZHENGHUI LI MING LI RAN LI SHURUI LI SONGSONG LI ZHANYANG LIU CHUANG LIU WEI QIU ZHIJIE SHANG YIXIN WANG GUANGLE WANG XINGWEI XIE MOLIN XU ZHEN YAN XING ZHANG ENLI ZHANG HUAN ZHAO YAO ZHU JINSHI

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中华廿八人

CHINESE

RUBELL FAMILY COLLECTION

ASIAN ART MUSEUM JUN 5–AUG 16

FALL 2014 /// 7

Rain-washed Sky (detail), 2008, by Lan Zhenghui (Chinese, b. 1959). Ink on Xuan paper mounted on canvas. Courtesy of Rubell Family Collection, Miami. ÂŠ Lan Zhenghui.

CHINESE

中华廿八人 BY ALLISON HARDING Guest Curator

JUN 5–AUG 16

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Lovers Are Artists (Part One) (detail), 2012, by Fang Lu (Chinese, b. 1981). Four-channel video (color, silent), edition 1 of 5. Courtesy of Rubell Family Collection, Miami. © Fang Lu.

One year ago, I traveled to Miami to see 28 Chinese, an exhibition at the Rubell Family Collection featuring 28 artists from China born between 1954 and 1986. I made my way through the Rubell’s 40,000-square-foot building — a former Drug Enforcement Administration warehouse — slowly taking in the exhibition, artist by artist. The more I saw, the more my anticipation grew. What would I see next? From massive gestural paintings to videos that had me laughing out loud, to a lifelike model of Ai Weiwei facedown on the ground — each piece had a profound impact, producing an incredible range of highs, lows, louds, softs, colors, white, elegance and absurdity. 28 Chinese stood out to me as a particularly honest glimpse of the contemporary art landscape — rare in its resistance to oversimplification. The surprising range of artistic practices, conceptual concerns, and mediums intentionally reflected the myriad conversations ongoing in China’s art studios and galleries. Just by experiencing these artworks one after the other, unmediated by curatorial chitchat, I felt connections to China and to the artists working there today. I’m sure some details got lost in translation, but in general, the refreshing variety made a point: just when you think you know “Chinese contemporary art,” you turn a corner and the next work proves you have only scratched the surface. Six hours later, on a flight home, I laid out the Rubell’s works on an Asian Art Museum floor plan. San Francisco, by way of Miami, needed to see China through the lens of these 28 artists.

CHINESE

中华廿八人

Top: Table with Two Legs, 2008, by Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1957). Wood from Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Courtesy of Rubell Family Collection, Miami. © Ai Weiwei. Bottom: Unnamed Room No. 2, 2006, by Chen Wei (Chinese, b. 1980). Archival ink-jet print, edition 3 of 8. Courtesy of Rubell Family Collection, Miami. © Chen Wei.

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Between 2001 and 2012, Don and Mera Rubell visited 100 artists’ studios in Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Xi’an, ultimately acquiring work from 28 of the artists they met. For the Rubells — whose groundbreaking collection helped launch the careers of American artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring (who also became a close family friend) — interacting with artists has been key to their art collecting since they began in the mid-1960s. “It’s completely inside of our practice as collectors,” says Mera Rubell. “There is something essential in the experience that we get visiting the studio.” For their exploration of Chinese art, this intimate approach was essential. As Don and Mera’s son, Jason Rubell, explains, “The nuances of China wouldn’t have become apparent through visits to contemporary Chinese exhibitions in Chelsea galleries. …It was vital to this project that we were able to touch, smell, hear, feel and taste something about China itself.” For close to 40 years, artists all over China have been creating experimental art that has captured the attention of the international art world. Its history weaves together rich cultural traditions, politics and globalization, contemporary art practices, and technology; a complex tale illustrated by works of art as diverse as China itself. In the West, this diversity was often filtered through an art market demand for pop reworkings of Mao or sarcastic smiling faces — creating initial misconceptions that contemporary Chinese art was only political, lacked depth or was made for export. Meanwhile, in China — as art schools and a gallery system developed and flourished — nothing could have been farther from the truth. This is what the Rubells experienced firsthand, and what we’re bringing to San Francisco on June 5. 28 Chinese, the culmination of more than a decade’s worth of exploration and research, explodes narrow perspectives on contemporary art in China. The featured artists include important early innovators — Ai Weiwei, Zhang Huan and Huang Yong Ping, among them — while also shining a spotlight on the newest generation of game changers. For many of these young artists, 28 Chinese was their North American debut. However, the exhibition does not attempt to offer a definitive view of Chinese art today. Instead, it presents a multiplicity of practices, mediums and conceptual concerns that, together, complicate any straightforward definition of “Chinese contemporary art,” challenging the effectiveness of such a notion. As varied as their practices are, individualism is the thread that binds these 28 artists together. While some look to their roots for inspiration, others look to today’s headlines. Some artists respond to their local surroundings, while others address the global landscape. Works from the exhibition will be shown throughout the museum to further highlight the individual approaches of these unique artists. While a large and commanding work like Zhu Jinshi’s Boat will appear in North Court — presented on its own, to allow audiences to take in the full impact of this immense installation — other works will appear in the Chinese collection galleries, linking these artworks to their cultural and thematic lineage. These artworks are only a sample of all that contemporary Chinese art has to offer, but they represent a few of the most notable Chinese artists working today, as identified by two pre-eminent collectors of contemporary art. The exhibition is a glimpse into the studio practices that the Rubells most connected with, and will serve as a springboard for new audiences into the dynamic and varied landscape of contemporary art in China. n

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SOME HIGHLIGHTS:

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CHINESE

中华廿八人

1. Li Shurui: I am not ready... This large-scale painting by Li Shurui is from her Light series — works that reproduce the look and feel of light in different environments, from arctic landscapes to nightclubs. Li Shurui’s studio is in an industrial area called Blackbridge, on the outskirts of Beijing. The water there comes from wells dug by the villagers, and is thick with silt. Li admits she has never tasted this water, but she uses it to mix her paints. When you look at the backs and sides of her canvases, they are filthy with the residue from the water that has soaked through the surface. While Li’s abstract paintings of light present a universal subject, they are connected to local conditions that become inseparable from what you see.

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2. Fang Lu: Lovers Are Artists (Part One) Fang Lu’s video work Lovers Are Artists (Part One) follows a young woman through Beijing’s streets and alleyways doing everyday activities and interacting with her surroundings. As the images progress, the young woman’s behavior seems increasingly bizarre and nonsensical, suggesting the whimsy associated with a lovesick state of mind. The piece is inspired by a treatise by Roland Barthes, A Lover’s Discourse, in which the French philosopher investigates the irrational state of being in love. As Fang Lu’s subject moves through the city, her lovesickness alters her experience of reality.

Above: I am not ready..., 2013, by Li Shurui (Chinese, b. 1981). Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of Rubell Family Collection, Miami. © Li Shurui. Left: Boat, 2012, by Zhu Jinshi (Chinese, b. 1954). Xuan paper, bamboo, and cotton thread. Courtesy of Rubell Family Collection, Miami. © Zhu Jinshi, © ARS, New York.

3. Zhu Jinshi: Boat In North Court, visitors will be able to walk through Zhu Jinshi’s monumental installation, Boat. Almost 40 feet long, this colossal work is made from 8,000 sheets of paper commonly used in Chinese calligraphy and painting. As you walk through the structure, you will notice row upon row of this carefully stacked paper overlapping bamboo rods suspended from the ceiling with cotton thread. The artist calls this experience a “symbolic journey,” one that seems to block out the noise of the world. Zhu Jinshi has said the work is an attempt to “infinitely extend every moment.” He uses the movement of a boat — its ability to go in any direction in the water — as an analogy for the extension of time and experience.

For Ai Weiwei, referring to history is a way of commenting on the present. This sculpture is one square meter of compressed tea leaves on a wooden base. Historically, tea leaves would be compressed into blocks for transport on horseback along ancient routes. Ai Weiwei plays on this ancient tradition by pressing one ton of tea into a cube, a form associated with American minimalist artists like Donald Judd. This dual reference to Western contemporary art and Chinese traditions evokes ideas of globalization and trade across time. n

28 Chinese is organized by the Rubell Family Collection, Miami. Presentation at the Asian Art Museum is made possible with the generous support of China Art Foundation, Gorretti and Lawrence Lui, Silicon Valley Bank, The Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Fund for Excellence in Exhibitions and Presentations, Lucy Sun and Warren Felson, and Nordstrom. The museum gratefully acknowledges Exhibition Board Champion Lucy Sun.

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4. Ai Weiwei: Ton of Tea

ON VIEW JUN 5–AUG 16 IN OSHER GALLERY, HAMBRECHT GALLERY, LEE GALLERY, VINSON GALLERY, RESOURCE ROOM GALLERY, NORTH COURT, SOUTH COURT, AND THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOOR COLLECTION GALLERIES

FIRST COLLECTING CONTEMPORARY AT THE ASIAN

BY ALLISON HARDING, Guest Curator First Look presents exciting works from the Asian Art Museum’s growing collection of contemporary art, many on view for the first time. Expanding upon our core collection of traditional Asian art, the exhibition will include a range of recent acquisitions — paintings, drawings, photography, new media, baskets and ceramics among them — that infuse traditional themes, mediums and cultural history with the urgency of contemporary ideas. A recurring theme in First Look is the desire to address 12 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

or re-examine cultural histories with a new vocabulary. Cho Duckhyun collects vintage photographs, some from his family albums, and re-creates them in life-size drawings with charcoal and crayon, blending unknown figures or intimate familial portraits with pivotal events in Korean history. In Woman, from 1994, the subject appears to be a courtesan sitting on a stylish Western chair and holding a stringed instrument. Cho transforms a faded photograph of an unknown woman into an emblematic figure of Korean women’s history.

T LOOK

SEP 4– OCT 11

ON VIEW IN OSHER GALLERY, HAMBRECHT GALLERY AND LEE GALLERY

Right: Mid-Autumn Festival, 1969, by Liu Guosong (Chinese, b. 1932). Ink and colors on paper. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2003.22. © Liu Guosong. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Presentation at the Asian Art Museum is made possible with the generous support of The Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Fund for Excellence in Exhibitions and Presentations.

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Left: My UFO (Watashi no UFO) (detail), 1988, by Yako Hodo (Japanese, b. 1940). Bamboo (madake) and rattan, selected techniques: thousand-line construction. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Lloyd Cotsen Japanese Bamboo Basket Collection, R2006.49. © Yako Hodo. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

FIRST LOOK: COLLECTING CONTEMPORARY AT THE ASIAN Art dealing with landscape, whether everyday scenes or representations of spiritual connections to nature, runs throughout the museum’s vast collection. The contemporary works in First Look examine this classic subject in bold, unique ways. A centerpiece of Osher gallery will be Zhu Jinshi’s painting The Third Time Going to the Yellow Mountain, which abstracts the traditional subject of people communing with nature, pushing its conceptual focus into an exploration of the passage of time and human experience. Jinshi’s signature strokes of oil Left: Still from The Night of Perpetual Day (detail), Edition 3 of 7, 2013, by Yang Yongliang (Chinese, b. 1980). HD video, 4 channel with sound track. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Acquisition made possible by Gorretti and Lawrence Lui, with additional funding from Richard Beleson, 2014.14. © Yang Yongliang.

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Right: AAM 010, 2011, by Koo Bohnchang (Korean, b. 1953). Archival pigment print. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Acquisition made possible by Frank S. Bayley, 2013.4. © Koo Bohnchang. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

paint — dense and dramatic, applied with a trowel — exude from the canvas surface, creating ridges and valleys of pigment that mimic the geography and emotionality of breathtaking terrain. Histories of various materials are also examined in First Look, often through works that push mediums beyond conventional boundaries. Su Xiaobai’s expressive composition reinvents lacquer — a material used in Asia for more than 3,000 years — by combining it with oil paint on canvas. In Su’s hands, the material transcends cultural signifiers and challenges our expectations. A 2011 photograph by Koo Bohnchang fuses traditional Korean ceramics with the visual language of photography. His image captures a composition of three whiteware vessels from our collection in a style reminiscent of Italian painter Giorgio Morandi, whose work Koo cites as an influence. Koo harmoniously translates these objects across mediums while maintaining the artistic and cultural principles of his subject.

To contextualize recent interpretations of ink traditions into new media, large-scale video works by Chinese artists Xu Bing and Yang Yongliang will be exhibited alongside paintings from early innovators of contemporary Chinese ink. Commissioned by the museum in 2012, Xu Bing’s monumental animation presents a playful yet profound conceptual narrative told through more than 10,000 handdrawn images. Xu Bing is known for his artistic explorations of the role of language, and his video, The Character of Characters, touches on varied subjects like the genesis of writing, Chinese calligraphy and the present-day fascination with luxury brand goods. Yang Yongliang’s The Night of Perpetual Day mimics the traditional hand-scroll format in a digital collage of recent landscape photographs. The resulting video work grants a conflicting meditative beauty to the tensions of China’s rapid development. As we approach our 50th anniversary, the Asian Art Museum has become internationally renowned for its presentation of more than 6,000 years of Asian art and cultural history. Contemporary art offers a new lens through which to view the past and consider the ways it has inspired the present. First Look is a focused introduction to the groundbreaking artworks we’ve acquired so far. n

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SFUSD ARTS FESTIVAL Students sang, danced and reflected on art during a weeklong celebration of arts education at the Asian Art Museum. Learn more at sfusdartsfestival.org. n

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17 The SFUSD Arts Festival at the Asian Art Museum was generously supported by Wells Fargo.

BEHIND THE SCENES

TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA:

HOW A DOCENT’S DONATION ENLIGHTENED THE MUSEUM AND ADDED TO BURMESE SCHOLARSHIP

The majority of the more than 18,000 objects in the museum’s collection were acquired as donations. The generosity of the museum’s extended family helps keep the collection vital and, as a recent gift reminded us, at the forefront of developing scholarship. Naomi Lindstrom was a member of the Society for Asian Art, a docent for 25 years and a regular at museum events. She was an avid collector with a keen eye honed during her years of world travel as a flight attendant. “On layovers, she always knew where to shop and what museums to visit,” says Linda Rineck, museum docent and longtime friend of Lindstrom’s. “If we brought back antiques there was no duty charge from U.S. customs, provided we had a certificate of authenticity. But customs agents didn’t question Naomi. One was even overheard saying, ‘If Naomi says it’s an antique, it’s an antique!’” After Lindstrom passed away last June, the museum received several gifts from her collection. One artwork, a wooden Buddha image, seemed typical at first, but closer examination revealed it to be anything but. “Comparisons with other objects in the collection told us it was probably from

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Left: An X-ray of the Buddha’s profile. Right: Mark Fenn examining the Buddha. Opposite: The Buddha image overlaid with an X-ray taken by conservation staff.

Mandalay, Burma, around the 1880s,” says Mark Fenn, associate head of conservation. “But something about the sculpture’s finish stood out.” It’s Fenn’s job to notice things. Working in tandem with curators, conservators are

BEHIND THE SCENES

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BEHIND THE SCENES

detectives of sorts, scouring an object for clues that can help piece together as much of its history as possible. “With a carved figure like this, the finish usually consists of a layer of black lacquer with gilding on top,” says Fenn. “The lacquer adheres the gilding to the wood, and that lacquer’s usually thick, mixed with something gritty like ground ceramic or bone ash. When there are losses, the lacquer breaks off in chunks. But this Buddha’s finish is smoothly worn away and there’s no underlayer. Lacquer doesn’t wear like this. So, the coating isn’t lacquer.” The strange coating wasn’t something Fenn and his team had seen before, so it prompted them to begin a thorough analysis of the object, inside and out. “We looked at it under ultraviolet light,” says Fenn, “which confirmed the coating was not lacquer, but possibly shellac. We used X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to identify the elements in various places on the figure, verifying the golden-looking stuff is gold and not brass. And we took a bunch of X-rays.” First, the X-rays showed that the insect damage visible on the sculpture’s base extends throughout the figure. They also revealed an abundance of old nails buried beneath the surface, which helped verify that this sculpture was not made from a single piece of wood. “Until now, it’s been assumed that wooden sculptures like this were carved from one piece,” says Fenn. “But that’s not the case here. The hands were separate pieces (we know this because they’re missing), and some of the nails we see in the X-rays are obviously holding together different pieces of wood. There are others nails we don’t understand, but they’re all underneath the finish, so we think they were part of the original construction. And we can tell by their shape that they aren’t modern nails.” Then the X-rays exposed a secret in the chin. “There’s no wood grain,” says Fenn. “Instead of carving the wood carefully, they cut it Two views of the Buddha’s base.

roughly and used sawdust and a binder, something like wood putty, to give the sculpture its proper shape. This is under the finish too, so it’s either part of the original construction or a repair that happened around the same time.” Finally, a layer of sheet metal, reflected in the X-rays near both the wrists and ankles, allowed Fenn to extrapolate further. “Whoever made this placed the metal around the wrists to provide support where the hands joined up,” says Fenn. “And there’s also a piece by the feet. Right now, we can’t see if the feet are separate pieces — as the hands are — because the metal blocks the X-ray. But that sheet metal being there suggests as much.” Fenn and Colleen O’Shea, a graduate intern, are still collecting data. Every new detail

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will aid future research and comparison. In fact, a recent X-ray of another Buddha image in the museum’s collection revealed a similar abundance of old nails, suggesting these methods weren’t anomalous. “A piece of this type has never undergone this level of examination,” says Forrest McGill, senior curator of South and Southeast Asian art. “Lindstrom’s Buddha has revealed that the construction of these objects was much more complicated than we originally believed. It has expanded our sphere of knowledge on the subject, and as we learn more, it may well continue to grow.” n

A young Naomi Lindstrom (seated).

Asian magazine extends a special thanks to Emilia de Geer, Jackie Hurst, Linda Rineck and Barbara Sharfstein, friends of Naomi Lindstrom’s, as well as Carol Mousel, her sister, for sharing their great stories, photos and fond memories.

MEMBERSHIP

The Asian Art Museum is not the only place that houses treasures. Many of the artworks in our collection were donated by members with exquisite holdings of their own. The surprising history behind one such donation (see page 18) is a reminder of the stories still waiting to be discovered in the beautiful artworks that reside outside the museum’s walls. This is one of the reasons why, on the third Friday of every month, Asian Art Museum members at the Premium level and above are invited to bring in up to three personal artworks (provided they can fit through the doors) for a one-on-one consultation with a curator. These special Consultation Days are perfect opportunities to learn more about the artworks in your own collection, like that curious lion statue your great-aunt brought back from Japan however many years ago. “It’s a bit like ‘Antiques Roadshow,’” says Forrest McGill, senior curator of South and Southeast Asian art. “Only we don’t assign value to the objects. Museum experts are not trained appraisers, so instead we focus on identification, time periods, origin, material, proper care and maintenance — things like that. Members bring in stone sculptures, ceramics, baskets, puppets, textiles — and the owners are almost always excited to learn about the history of their possessions.” The majority of the pieces brought in on Consultation Days are personal treasures, and not necessarily something that will end up in a museum. And that’s okay. “Members learn about what they’ve got, and curators get to hear the questions members have and what interests them. Sometimes that influences what we say in the galleries and how we say it,” says McGill. “It’s a unique interaction and connection that benefits the museum, our curators and our members.” n

MEMBER CONSULTATION DAYS

DISCOVER YOUR HIDDEN TREASURES

Li He (right), associate curator of Chinese art, and Forrest McGill (back), in consultation.

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Consultation Days are a benefit for members donating at the Premium level ($179) and above. Contact the membership team at 415.581.3740 or members@asianart.org to make an appointment or for details on how to upgrade your membership.

IN THE GALLERIES

EXQUISITE NATURE

20 MASTERPIECES OF CHINESE PAINTING (14TH–18TH C.) MAR 3–NOV 1 | GALLERY 18

As spring turns to summer, even the most hardened city dwellers are inclined to roll up their sleeves and step out into the sun. To complement our budding interest in the great outdoors, the museum’s exhibition Exquisite Nature: 20 Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (14th–18th c.) presents rarely seen paintings on popular subjects such as landscape, flowers-and-birds, animals, country life and historical stories. These important paintings — from several great masters of the 14th–18th centuries — are broad in style and geographical representation, offering individual takes on a shared theme: humankind’s appreciation of the natural world. While the complex beauty of these paintings still resonates today, they also provide masterful examples of certain primary artistic techniques of Chinese painting, such as light ink washes for water, elaborately detailed brushwork for flowers and thickly built strokes to form rocks. Audiences can observe these methods, used for thousands of years, as employed by some of China’s most influential painters. Ni Zan (1301–1374) painted one of the most original landscapes on display, River Pavilion, Mountain Colors, which depicts a solitary thatched pavilion by a river. An important 22 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

name in Chinese art history, Ni Zan developed a style — distinctly personal, elegant, solemn and simple — that took him far from the academic approach common at the time. Ni Zan’s notably sparse paintings are thought to symbolize an idealized world, cleansed of the turmoil of reality.

River Pavilion, Mountain Colors, 1368, by Ni Zan (Chinese, 1301–1374). Hanging scroll; ink on paper. Lent from the Tang Family Collection, R1989.99. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

IN THE GALLERIES

For comparative study, a nearby gallery shows Travelers among Valleys and Peaks, a monumental landscape by an anonymous 13th-century painter. In contrast to Ni Zan’s sparse composition, Travelers among Valleys and Peaks employs a much more intense and meticulous approach, meant to seize the viewer’s imagination with a grandiose layout that feels both supernatural and spiritual. It is a good example of the “grand manner” of the Northern Song academic style, which once dominated the main wave of painting and has inspired artists for centuries. Together, the impressive works illustrate the range of ink techniques that comprise the core essentials in Chinese painting. Wang Yuanqi’s (1642–1715) tour de force “Landscape after old masters” is another important highlight. It features a series of landscapes collected together in a single album. Each page of the album represents the artist’s interpretation of a different major movement in classical landscape painting. A notably sparse image, A small colored scene, after Ni Gaoshi (Ni Zan), features a signature Ni Zan-type pavilion tucked behind a cluster of small trees. In addition to five paintings from the museum’s collection — donated by Leslie Tang Schilling, an Asian museum — the exhibition includes 14 rare artworks on loan from the Tang family’s collection.

Travelers among Valleys and Peaks (detail), approx. 1200–1300. China, Jin dynasty (1115–1234). Ink and light colors on paper. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, The Avery Brundage Collection, B66D1.a. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

SUMMER 2015 /// 23

Art Museum Foundation trustee and longtime friend of the

IN THE GALLERIES

“We enjoy this whole collection of paintings, but I’m particularly drawn to Zou Yigui’s (1682–1772) ‘100 cranes among pine trees,’” says Schilling. “I love seeing the myriad cranes peeking out from between the branches and pine needles. And I love the fact that every time our family tries to count them, we always come up with a different number.” “100 cranes among pine trees” is an unusually large creation depicting scores of cranes in pine forests on mountain summits. The painting exhibits Zou’s mastery over the rendering of precise details, as well as his elegant brushstroke when executing surface texture with ink and color. The birds — white, with a red crest and black around the neck — are hidden behind rocks and trees, but still appear to move in intimate response to one another. “When I visit the museum, I often wonder who originally owned each piece and what they were like,” says Schilling. “So it’s very pleasing to share this collection of paintings, which our family enjoys so much. We believe whoever comes to see it

24 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

will enjoy it as much as we do.” n

A small colored scene after Ni Gaoshi (Ni Zan) from the album Landscape after old masters (detail), by Wang Yuanqi (Chinese, 1642–1715). Leaf from album; ink and colors on paper. Lent from the Tang Family Collection. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Director Jay Xu and Leslie Tang Schilling celebrate the opening of Exquisite Nature. Exquisite Nature: 20 Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (14th–18th c.) was organized by the Asian Art Museum.

MEMBERSHIP

CELEBRATING DADS AND GRADS

Want to recognize a pop who deserves a pat on the back this Father’s Day? Know a graduate who worked hard for that diploma? Honor the special people in your life by making a donation in their name to the Asian Art Museum’s Annual Fund. All gifts — big and small — go toward making the museum’s programs possible. Your donations support everything we do — from storytelling tours for schoolchildren to exciting public programs with contemporary artists. Gifts also support special exhibitions like 28 Chinese (see page 6) and will help us preserve our renowned collection for generations to come. Museum membership also makes a great gift. A year of captivating art and memorable cultural experiences is just a phone call or a click away. ■

Three ways to make your gift: 1. Call 415.581.3740 2. Visit our Member Desk 3. Go online: Annual Fund donation www.asianart.org/donate Gift membership www.asianart.org/membership A proud papa at the SFUSD Arts Festival (see pages 16–17).

includes updates on member events, extra discounts or promotions, community partnerships, member benefits and even trivia about the museum.

GET CONNECTED!

Member E-news helps you stay in touch and make the most of your membership. We regularly add new benefits and opportunities to enhance your experience, and this is the best way to find out what’s happening as it happens. Current members should automatically receive Member E-news, but if you haven’t heard from us, visit www.asianart.org/member-e-news to subscribe. ■

WS E-NE

SUMMER 2015 /// 25

This spring, we launched Member E-news, your monthly members-only e-newsletter. It

UPCOMING

LOOKING EAST

HOW JAPAN INSPIRED MONET, VAN GOGH, AND OTHER WESTERN ARTISTS 26 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

OCT 30, 2015 – FEB 7, 2016 Through more than 150 masterpiece paintings, prints and drawings, Looking East explores how Japanese art and culture inspired some of the greatest European and American artists of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Tickets available online this summer. Members can reserve complimentary tickets early. For discounted group reservations, call 415.581.3624 or email groupvisits@asianart.org.

Visit www.asianart.org for details. Looking East: How Japan Inspired Monet, Van Gogh, and Other Western Artists was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Presentation is made possible with the generous support of The Bernard Osher Foundation, United, and The Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Fund for Excellence in Exhibitions and Presentations. Top: The water lily pond, 1900, by Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). Oil on canvas. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Given in memory of Governor Alvan T. Fuller by the Fuller Foundation, 61.959. Photograph © 2015, MFA, Boston. Bottom: Bamboo Yards, Kyobashi Bridge, from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 1857, by Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858). Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection, 11.26350. Photograph © 2015, MFA, Boston.

SOCIETY FOR ASIAN ART

ASIAN ART’S STORIED TRADITIONS

FALL LECTURE SERIES

Asian Art’s Storied Traditions will take place Fridays, August 21–December 4 (10:30 AM–12:30 PM), in Samsung Hall. For ticket information and a full list of lecturers and topics, please visit the Society for Asian Art’s website at www.societyforasianart.org. The hero Rustam slaying a dragon, from a manuscript of the Shahnama (Book of Kings) (detail), 1600–1650. Northern India or Pakistan. Opaque watercolors on paper. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. George Hopper Fitch, B74D20. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

educated pilgrims and devotees about their faith — to the cave mural

entertain, educate, spread culture, win converts and maintain

paintings of Dunhuang in China — which contain superb examples

power and order. Asian Art’s Storied Traditions, the fall 2015 Arts

of Buddhist art spanning thousands of years. The lectures will

of Asia lecture series sponsored by the Society for Asian Art, will

also explore illustrated manuscripts like the Shahnama, com-

explore how art was a vital mode of storytelling and communication

missioned by Persia’s Shah Tahmasp; Mughal albums made

during centuries when few could read or write. Art offered moral

for Akbar in India; and Chinese, Korean and Japanese scrolls

guidance and codes of conduct, as well as historical narratives

and screens.

and explanations for the unknown.

To underscore how narrative traditions continue today, pre-

This 15-part series will offer insights from prominent scholars on a

senters will also discuss the ways in which Bollywood films and

range of artworks and geographical regions, from the sculptural reliefs

Japanese anime and manga have extended visual storytelling into

of Buddhist and Hindu monuments in sacred sites in India — which

modern popular culture. n

SUMMER 2015 /// 27

Myths, legends and complex stories have been used for ages to

IN THE GALLERIES

ARHAT

Besides the Buddha himself, perhaps the most widespread and important figure in Buddhist

FOE DESTROYER OF HIMALAYAN BUDDHIST ART

art across Asia is the arhat, the Buddhist master whose name (for reasons we’ll explore in a

BY JEFF DURHAM Assistant Curator of Himalayan Art

er compositions and narratives. Yet despite their superficially generic appearance, arhats

MAR 16–NOV 16 | GALLERY 12

moment) many scholars of the Tibetan tradition translate as “foe destroyer.” Often depicted as ordinary, elderly monks, arhats might seem like little more than minor characters in largplay a crucial role in the spiritual economy of the Buddhist tradition. For just as the Buddha discovered the enlightened state of nirvana and the famous Eightfold Path that leads to it, arhats have practiced that path and thus attained the same nirvana enjoyed by the Buddha. Indeed, it is their experience that confirms the validity of the Buddha’s teachings and its results, propagating its message down through time. For this reason, you’ll find arhats represented in artworks on display throughout the museum’s galleries. Our ongoing thangka exhibit in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Buddhist World gallery introduces some of the imagery and ideas associated with these important Buddhist figures. Back in mid-March, the Himalayan department put on display four Tibetan paintings from a series of seven arhat-focused thangkas. Aesthetically, these artworks are a feast for the eyes; they employ a kaleidoscopic palette including such vivid and varied mineral pigments as lapis, cinnabar and gold. Looking deeper, even more precise details begin to

28 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

emerge. For example, each arhat has a characteristic iconography understood to reflect

IN THE GALLERIES

some aspect of his life and activity; some carry books to symbolize their wisdom, while one arhat carries a stupa, an icon of great importance to “foe destroyers.” The key painting in the series, “The Buddha Shakyamuni with the Buddhist elders Bakula and Angaja,” depicts the Buddha himself at the very climax of his quest for nirvana, or enlightenment. Note how the Buddha touches the ground with his right hand, calling the earth as witness to previous good deeds that have qualified him for enlightenment. At that very moment, the Buddha has a magnificent, horrifying vision: he sees the entire structure of the cosmos. And it is precisely this vision that leads to nirvana, the state in which the illusion of self is literally “blown away.” You too can see this important vision in another painting in the museum’s collection, The Buddhist Wheel of Life and Death. Mara, demon of Time, is the monstrous red figure at the painting’s center, holding in his clawed hands and feet the wheel of infinite reincarnation called samsara, literally “that which rolls on and on.” He, Mara, is the “foe” that the arhat “destroys.” An arhat overcomes the demon of Time, as did the Buddha, simply by seeing him. Now, we’ve already noted how the arhat works to propagate the power of the Buddha’s teachings down through time by realizing the state of nirvana that the Buddha discovered. In “The Buddhist elders Panthaka, Nagasena, Gopaka, and Abheda,” the arhat at the bottom right carries a white structure called a stupa; it is a reliquary for the remains of arhats. Such stupas have a specific purpose rooted in a peculiar capacity of arhats: through meditation, the arhat accumulates a certain spiritual charge called punya (merit). After his death, an arhat’s remains retain the punya he earned in life. This can be stored and accessed by putting the arhat’s relics into a stupa. The stupa can then produce the miraculous results that an arhat might have produced in life, including the magical light-and-sound show emanating from the stupas in “Death of the Buddha Shakyamuni.” So you might say that, in the case of the deceased arhat and his stupa, the end is just the beginning. Similarly, we hope this little article will mark the beginning of your museumwide exploration of the arhat motif. n

Opposite left: The Buddha Shakyamuni with the Buddhist elders Bakula and Angaja (detail), one of seven images, 1800–1900. Tibet. Colors on cotton. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, The Avery Brundage Collection, B62D38. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Opposite right: The Buddhist Wheel of Life and Death (detail), 1800–1900. Tibet. Colors on cotton. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Gift of Walter and Josephine Landor, 2001.49. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Above: The Buddhist elders Panthaka, Nagasena, Gopaka, and Abheda (detail), one of seven images, 1800–1900. Tibet. Ink and colors on cotton. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, The Avery Brundage Collection, B62D41. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Left: Death of the Buddha Shakyamuni (front and back) (detail), approx. 1700–1800. Tibet. Colors on cotton. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, The Avery Brundage Collection, B66D23. Image © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

SUMMER 2015 /// 29

MEMBERSHIP

RHINO CLUB ART ROUNDUP

SUGGESTED FOR AGES 7–10

30 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

YEE-HAW!

Our first Art Roundup in September will be open to all members with kids or grandkids. Come preview the Rhino Club experience!

Save the date:

Saturday, September 19 10:30 AM–noon Space is limited, so RSVP to members@asianart.org or 415.581.3740

Rhino Club, our membership group for kids, has a new benefit: the Rhino Club Art Roundup. Rhino Club members can enjoy fun-filled mornings for the whole family. Each roundup begins at 10:30 AM with an art adventure led by a docent guide, followed by hands-on art activities and snacks.

IS SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY INTERESTED IN JOINING RHINO CLUB? For only $50, you can add Rhino Club to your current membership level. In addition to invites to quarterly Art Roundups, your kids or grandkids will receive an Explorer’s Backpack, a Kid’s Passport, a caregiver guest pass, a birthday surprise and the chance to earn a Rhino patch. To learn more about Rhino Club, visit www.asianart.org/rhinoclub. ■

Jade Circle members Susan McCabe and Janet Dobrovolny at the Seduction Jade Circle opening brunch reception

Exhibition-themed journals at the Seduction Jade Circle opening brunch reception

SCENE AT THE ASIAN Members celebrate the opening of Seduction. â&#x2013;

Guests and performers rocking out at the Seduction opening party

Guests enjoy the Seduction Jade Circle opening brunch reception

Musician performs during the Seduction Jade Circle opening brunch reception

RETAIL SELECTIONS

DIVE INTO SUMMER WITH FRESH PICNIC PICKS FROM THE MUSEUM STORE

Maneki-Neko Bento Box

Pack up and hit the road with this adorable guy. Retail $38–$45; Member $34.20–$40.50

Make Your Own Kimchi Kit The delicious secrets of kimchi, revealed. Retail $48; Member $43.20

Matcha to Go

Pour, shake and you’ve got matcha to go. (water bottle not included)

10 pack/box: Retail $19; Member $17.10

Yuna

Malaysian R&B for your picnic. $14.95; Member $13.46

Tiffins

Stacked containers to get what you need where you need it. Retail $35; Member $31.50

Manila Noir

32 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

Tales of suspense and drama, a perfect read for a sunny day. Retail $15.95; Member $14.36

Comfy cotton shawls from Laos

Lounge in a variety of colors. Retail $70; Member $63

GET THESE ESSENTIAL SUMMER ITEMS (AND MORE) AT THE MUSEUM STORE:

Chopsticks Retail $16.95, Member $15.26; White Lip Bowls & Plates 7" plate perfect for lunches or picnics: Retail $30, Member $27; 5" diameter bowl: Retail $50, Member $45; Ramen Retail $7.95, Member $7.15; Kendama (toy) Retail $14–$18, Member $12.60–$16.20

You can also do your shopping online at store.asianart.org.

CALENDAR

FEATURED JUN MEMBER 4 EVENTS

DOUBLE YOUR DISCOUNT:

20% off at the Museum Store

Want more access? Upgrade your membership or contact us for details at 415.581.3740. If you renew at a higher level before your current membership expires, we’ll add 12 months and upgrade your benefits immediately.

For more information, call 415.581.3740 or email members@asianart.org.

28 Chinese Jade Circle Opening Reception Friday, June 5 6:30–9 PM Open to Jade Circle members and above

JUN

28 Chinese Opening Reception Tuesday, June 9 6:30–8:30 PM Open to Friends ($500) and Patrons ($1,000)

JUN

28 Chinese Preview Day Thursday, June 4 10 AM–9 PM Open to all members, no RSVP required

JUL

7& 11 AUG

11& 15 SEP

Tour, Talk & Tea: Arts of West Asia Saturday, June 20 11 AM–1 PM Open to all members

Tour, Talk & Tea: Burmese Art Tuesday, July 7 1–3 PM

SEP

Tour, Talk & Tea: First Look: Collecting Contemporary at the Asian Tuesday, September 15 1–3 PM Open to all members

SEP

Rhino Club Art Roundup Saturday, September 19 10:30 AM–noon Open to all members with kids (see page 30 for details)

Saturday, July 11 11 AM–1 PM Open to all members Tour, Talk & Tea: 28 Chinese Tuesday, August 11 1–3 PM

Saturday, August 15 11 AM–1 PM Open to all members First Look: Collecting Contemporary at the Asian Preview Day Thursday, September 3 10 AM–9 PM Open to all members, no RSVP required

For all member events, admission is limited to two people, regardless of one’s membership level. Tickets are nontransferable. Reservations are required unless otherwise noted, as space is limited.

RSVP by contacting us at members@asianart.org or 415.581.3740. Visit www.asianart.org/memberevents for details.

THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT. WANT THE FULL PICTURE?

Check out our calendar at www.asianart.org/events. You’ll find talks, art activities, tours, fun for the family. Don’t miss out.

ONGOING PROGRAMS Docent Tours: Daily, 10:30 AM and 2 PM Free with museum admission. Kids’ Tours Saturdays and Sundays, 2:30 PM Free with museum admission (kids 12 and younger always get in free). Suggested for families with children ages 7–10. Stories! The Wicked, the Wily, the Wise Sundays, 1–1:45 PM Free with museum admission (kids 12 and younger always get in free). Suggested for ages 7 and up Explorer Packs and Art Cards Pick up these free activity kits at the information desk.

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

28 Chinese Jun 5–Aug 16

First Look Sep 4–Oct 11

Woven Luxuries: Indian, Persian, and Turkish Velvets from the Indictor Collection Through Nov 1 Exquisite Nature: 20 Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (14th–18th C.) Through Nov 1

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS: WWW.ASIANART.ORG

OCTOBER

SUMMER 2015 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

EXHIBITIONS

Non-Profit Organization U. S . Po s t a g e P A I D Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

ASIAN ART MUSEUM Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art & Culture www.asianart.org 200 Larkin Street San Francisco, CA 94102 USA