Celebrating Asian Art

Asia Week New York CONTEMPORARY: May 2–10

April 9, 2017

The first-ever edition of Asia Week New York Contemporary will debut May 2 to 10, 2017, and feature dealer participants Michael Goedhuis, Kaikodo LLC, Kang Contemporary Korean Art, Navin Kumar Gallery, Joan B Mirviss LTD, Onishi Gallery and Scholten Japanese Art.

Following on the heels of Asia Week New York’s successful 10-day round of exhibitions and auction sales, which generated an outstanding $423 million, these seven esteemed galleries are mounting contemporary art exhibitions to tap into the buzz and energy from other modern and contemporary art fairs going on in Manhattan at the same time.

To celebrate this new edition, each gallery will present the works of renowned Asian artists and will hold open houses on Friday evening, May 5, from 6–8pm.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to open our galleries to the contemporary collectors who are in town for TEFAF New York Spring and Frieze,” comments Joan B. Mirviss. 

Representing artists from China, Japan, Korea, and India, the must-see highlights include:

Qin Feng. Black Magic. Ink on paper, 3 x 3 ft.

Michael Goedhuis, here from London, presents Changing China: Contemporary Ink Painting, featuring 15 new works, by Chinese artists who are responding to the changing political, social and psychological landscape of China in reaction to the emergence of Trump and America’s new stance in the world. One of the exhibition’s highlights is a major work by Qin Feng, which was created to be part of his major exhibition and performance, Waiting for Qin Feng, at the Venice Biennale, in the San Giorgio Maggiore Monastery. “This work is one of the works that symbolizes his passionate desire for freedom,” notes the dealer. (At Traum Safe, 1078 Madison Avenue—please note this exhibition only opens May 4)

Luo Jianwu. Clear, Wondrous, Ancient, Strange. Hanging scroll, ink on paper, 621 x 74.3 cm (244 ½ x 29 ¼ in).

Kaikodo LLC, Twenty Years of Ink Art, presents new works by Luo Jianwu, Xu Jianguo, Mansheng Wang, Lin Yan and Qiu Mai (Michael Cherney), as well as paintings by Lin Guocheng, Wai Pongyu, Tseng Yuho (Betty Ecke), Zhu Daoping, Wucius Wong, Wu Qiang, Li Xubai, Zhang Hong (Arnold Chang), and Huang Zhongfang (Harold Wong). Taking center stage is the monumental masterpiece titled Clear, Wondrous, Ancient, Strange, by Luo Jianwu, which he took 8 years to complete, transforming the traditional hanging scroll format into a contemporary work of installation art. “Today the contemporary world in Chinese art is very rich and diverse and there are far more people trained and interested in the field. We trust this exhibition will appeal to them as well as to collectors of contemporary Western art,” shares Carol Conover, managing director of Kaikodo. (74 East 79th Street, Suite 14B).

Ik-Joong Kang. Happy World - Blue Jumbo Airplane. 1992-2015. Mixed media on wood, 47 x 47 inches.

Korean Art: Now and Then at Kang Contemporary Korean Art, will feature the works of contemporary artists Ik-Joong Kang, Minjung Kim, and Seungmo Park, each of whom will explore in their own idiom the philosophical and spiritual experiences emanating from Korea’s rich cultural traditions, juxtaposed against a contemporary narrative delving into the human costs of a nation in the throes of rapid modernization. Other featured artists include Jongsook Kim, Lee Woorim, Seongmin Ahn, Suyeon Na and Dave Kim. “The works by the artists are organized to reveal the connections between the history of various recognizable Korean art forms and the more global view reflected in the imagery and techniques of the artists on display,” notes Peter Kang. (9 East 82nd Street, 3rd Floor).

F. N. Souza. Head. 1956. Oil on board, 42 x 32 inches.

Selections: Modern Indian Masters at Navin Kumar Gallery features paintings by 15 preeminent modern Indian painters including F. N. Souza, M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, Ram Kumar, Akbar Padamsee, K. H. Ara, and B. Prabha. Their art ranges from abstract, figurative, surreal, to landscape, and the collection of works by these artists shows how they pushed the boundaries and plumbed the depths of what art could be, both from Indian and global perspectives. One of the exhibition’s highlights is Head, painted by Francis Newton Souza, one of the pioneers of modern Indian art. Thick black brushstrokes over layered oil paint delineate the disfiguration of form – arrows through the neck, and eyes towards the top of the forehead force the viewer to contend with an unapologetically honest message about the nature of self, but one that nonetheless charges the spirit with vitality. (24 East 73rd Street, Suite 4F).

Nakamura Takuo. Standing Sculpture with Clouds and Dragon Design. 2015. 57 3/8 x 19 5/8 inches.

Beyond Kutani: Innovations in Form and Color at Joan B Mirviss LTD, the first-ever joint exhibition which showcases two celebrated and innovative ceramic masters, Takegoshi Jun and Nakamura Takuo, both of whom are inspired by traditional kutani ware. “We are proud to present the work of these clay masters,” says Joan Mirviss. “This exhibition, featuring over 40 new works created expressly for this occasion, will highlight these two ceramists’ unique and divergent aesthetics, both developed in response to time-honored kutani artistic traditions but cast in very contemporary modes, featuring both functional and sculptural forms, all boldly decorated with polychrome under-glazing and overglaze enamels." One of the standout pieces is Nakamura Takuo’s Standing Sculpture with Clouds and Dragon Design, from 2015, which stands over 57 inches x 19 5/8 inches. (39 East 78th Street, Suite 401).

Shun Sudo. Innocent Forest. 2017. Acrylic on canvas, 63 x 102 inches.

Onishi Gallery presents Playful Perfection: The Artist’s Imaginary Universe, which combines contemporary ceramics and sculpture with street art paintings. “My aim is to showcase cutting-edge contemporary artists and trends from Japan,” says Nana Onishi of her namesake gallery. Ms. Onishi will feature paintings by street artist Shun Sudo, the ceramics of Ito Sekisui, a 14th generation potter and National Living Treasure, the work of Tomoko Konno, part of a new generation of female ceramicists working in Japan, and the other-worldly wood sculpture of NAOYA. (521 West 26th Street).

Paul Binnie. A Hundred Shades of Ink of Edo: Hiroshige’s Edo. 2015. Woodblock print, 16 3/4 by 12 1/8 inches.

At Scholten Japanese Art, the provocative theme is nudes and tattoos including nudes with tattoos by Paul Binnie, who recently completed a series of prints called A Hundred Shades of Ink of Edo on which he spent eleven years, from 2004-2015. “The complete series of 10 is the inspiration for the show, and all 10 will be on display, along with related compositions,” explains Katherine Martin, managing director of the gallery. One of the standouts is Hiroshige's Edo, 2015, a woodblock print from a limited edition of 100. “We will also include at least 20 original drawings and watercolor and oil paintings of related subjects, many of which have never before been exhibited or offered for sale,” adds Ms. Martin. (145 West 58th Street, Suite 6D)

Asia Week New York 2017 Auction Highlights

March 18, 2017

As Asia Week New York 2017 progressed, we kept track of notable auction results in this post. Here is one highlight from each auction:

	At Doyle's 'Asian Works of Art' auction on Monday, March 13, a Chinese Doucai glazed porcelain cup, estimated at $50,000-70,000, achieved a staggering $2 million following competitive bidding. Read more about it here.
	At Bonhams' auction of 'Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles' on Monday, March 13, this inside painted glass snuff bottle— signed Ding Erzhong and dated 1897—sold for $45,000. View more information here.
	This imperial gilt bronze ritual 'ruibin' bell (Qianlong mark and of the period) sold for $607,500 at Bonhams' auction of 'Chinese Works of Art and Paintings' on Monday, March 13. More info here.
	Bonhams finished out the day on Monday with their sale of 'Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art,' during which gilt copper alloy figure of Tara, from 15th-century Tibet, achieved $487,500. View more details about the object here.
	This group of six Sakya lamdre lineage masters from Tibet, circa 15th century, sold for $727,500 at Bonhams' evening sale on Tuesday, March 14, titled 'Portraits of the Masters.' Many other figures from this auction achieved high prices. More details here.
	On Wednesday, March 15, Sotheby's sold this bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni for $432,500 during its auction of 'Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art Including Property from the Cleveland Museum of Art.' Read more about the figure here.
	This sandalwood scepter from 18th-century China (Qing Dynasty) sold for $90,000 during Bonhams' 'Zuiun Collection' auction on Wednesday morning. Read more about the object here.
	During the Christie's sale of 'Fine Chinese Paintings,' also on Wednesday, this Ming Dynasty painting titled Children and Knick-Knack Peddlar, estimated at $30,000-50,000, achieved $223,500. More details here.
	Part IV of the 'Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles' at Christie's saw this inscribed white jade snuff bottle from Beijing's Palace Workshops go for $40,000. It was originally estimated at $4,000-6,000. More details here.
	Back at Sotheby's for the auction titled 'Ming: The Intervention of Imperial Taste,' this Meiping vase with tianbai ('sweet white') glaze topped the charts, selling for over $3.1 million. Read more about the vase here.
	At Sotheby's 'Important Chinese Art' auction, this tea bowl from the Southern Song Dynasty fetched over $1 million, over double the low estimate. Further details here.
	Meanwhile, at Bonhams' 'Fine Japanese and Korean Art' auction, a screen from the Edo Period showing poppies in bloom sold for $427,500. View more details by clicking here.
	Bonhams finished out the afternoon on Wednesday with an auction titled 'The Korean Aesthetic: The Collection of Robert W. Moore.' This ten-panel map screen of Korea from the Joseon Dynasty sold for its high estimate of $50,000. More information here.
	Wednesday afternoon also included Christie's sale of Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art, during which this black stone figure of Lokanatha Avalokiteshvara from 12th-century India sold for over $24.5 million. Learn more about this important sculpture here.
	Christie's closed out the day on Wednesday with an evening sale of 'Important Chinese Art from the Fujita Museum,' during which several bronze works of art from the Late Shang Dynasty achieved multi-million dollar results. This bronze ritual wine vessel, Fangzun, sold for $37.2 million. View more information about the vessel here.
	On Thursday, March 16, this painting by Zhu Da titled Flowers, Birds, Fish and Fruit achieved over $3.1 million at Sotheby's auction of 'Fine Classical Chinese Paintings & Calligraphy.' View more details here.
	During Sotheby's 'Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art' auction, this untitled oil on canvas by Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) sold for nearly $1.7 million, more than twice the high estimate. View more information here.
	On Thursday morning at Christie's, during the auction of 'The Marie Theresa L. Virata Collection of Asian Art: A Family Legacy,' this Huanghuali circular incense stand sold for an astounding $5.8 million. Have a closer look at the object here.
	At Christie's sale of important early Chinese art from the Harris collection, this gilt bronze feline-form ornament from the 1st-2nd century AD sold for nearly $120,000 against an estimate of $15,000-25,000. More details here.
	On Friday, March 17, Christie's held its sale of 'Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art.' This Junyao flower-form brush washer, from the Northern Song-Jing Dynasty, was estimated at $12,000-$18,000 but sold for over $900,000. Read more about it here.
	The last auction of the week, 'Saturday at Sotheby's: Asian Art,' brought in nearly $4.5 million. This handscroll, attributed to Dong Gao, was estimated at only $2,000-4,000, but sold for $348,500. Read more about it here.

Watch James Lally Present Treasures of Ancient Chinese Buddhist Sculpture

March 11, 2017

A Painted Sandstone Head of Vimalakirti (Wei Mo)
From the Yungang Buddhist Cave-Temples, Shanxi
Northern Wei Dynasty, circa 465-494
Height 14 inches (35.5 cm)

Earlier this week, Sinovision interviewed Asia Week New York participant James Lally about his 2017 exhibition, Buddhist Sculpture from Ancient China.

"Vimalakirti debates the Buddha in a famous moment, which is recorded in the Buddhist scriptures," explains Lally while presenting the sculpture pictured above. "He convinces the Buddha that even a layman can find nirvana."

Watch the full interview below.

Two Lives Entwined: Ichikawa Danjuro VIII & Bando Shuka I

March 6, 2017

March 6, 2017 marks the 162nd anniversary of the death of Bando Shuka I (1813-1855), the famed onnagata performer of mid-19th century Japanese kabuki theater. Onnagata were male actors who specialized in female roles, a necessity ever since 1629, when women were banned from performing in kabuki productions. Shuka I played those roles with aplomb, so much so that in his heyday he was one of the most successful actors, perhaps second only to his frequent on-stage lover Ichikawa Danjuro VIII (1823-1854), the eldest son of Ichikawa Danjuro VII (1791-1859). These two A-listers together performed the lead roles from some of the most popular plays. Perhaps it is not surprising that two actors who spent most of their professional careers linked, would seem to follow as such in death. Danjuro VIII, the golden boy of his day, harbored secret debts and battled depression, committing suicide at an Osaka road-side inn in the 8th lunar month of 1854. Bando Shuka I followed him just months later, in the 3rd lunar month of the following year. 

- from Scholten Japanese Art

Who's Open When: 2017 Gallery Exhibition Dates in a Single Graph

March 5, 2017

While most gallery exhibitions are open for all ten days of Asia Week New York 2017, several will not be open every day. And a few will stay open past March 18!

We've created a handy graph with exhibition dates for all 50 participating dealers. If an exhibition is open past the last day of Asia Week New York (March 18), the closing date is listed at far right.

Download a PDF of the graph here!
We recommend printing it out and taking it with you while you gallery hop.

2017 Gallery Hop: Focus on Chinese Paintings and 2D Work

March 3, 2017

For the eighth and final post in our 2017 Gallery Hop series, we're focusing on Chinese paintings, prints, textiles and photography, with a 5-mile itinerary that takes you to seven galleries, from the Upper East Side to SoHo. We recommend walking to the first 6 exhibitions (about 1.5 miles), then taking public transportation or a taxi to reach the last gallery in SoHo. And while you're down there, remember that the China Institute is also downtown, at the southern tip of the island.

	Start at China 2000 Fine Art's exhibition at 1556 Third Avenue (at 87th Street). Exhibition on view: Stronger Together: Two Western Artists Who Embraced the Chinese Idiom Focus: Prints by Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg
	Walk two blocks west to Park Avenue, then eight block south on Park. Turn right on 79th Street to reach Kaikodo LLC at number 74. Exhibition on view: River of Stars Focus: Chinese Paintings (13th century to present), Sculptures and Ceramics + Japanese Paintings
	Walk west to Madison Avenue and walk south for five blocks, then make a right on 74th Street to reach M. Sutherland Fine Arts at street number 7. Exhibition on view: Guo Hua: Defining Contemporary Chinese Painting
	Go back to Madison Avenue and continue walking south until you reach 67th Street. Robert Hall Asian Art Ltd is exhibiting at Gallery Vallois America, 27 East 67th Street. Exhibition on view: Chinese Paintings, Works of Art and Snuff Bottles (Note: Michael C. Hughes LLC is also at this location.)
	Go back down Madison Avenue and turn right on 64th Street. At P R P H Books, 26 East 64th Street, you'll find 19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop (note: the work on display is for exhibition only, not for sale). Exhibition on view: Masterpieces of Early Chinese Photography
	Head back down Madison Avenue. At the corner of 57th Street, in the historic Fuller Building, you'll find Alan Kennedy on the 8th Floor. Exhibition on view: Chinese and Japanese Paintings and Textiles (Note: Two other participating dealers, J. J. Lally & Co. and DAG Modern, are exhibiting in the building.)
	To reach FitzGerald Fine Arts at 40 Wooster Street, in SoHo, you'll need to take the subway, bus, or a taxi from 57th Street. The 6, N or E subway lines will take you there. Exhibition on view: Beili Liu Focus: Contemporary Chinese Painting

A custom Google map of the itinerary, which you can share with others, is below:

2017 Gallery Hop: Focus on Chinese Sculpture, Ceramics and Objects

March 3, 2017

For the seventh post in our 2017 Gallery Hop series, we're focusing on Chinese sculpture, ceramics and other objects, with a 1.5-mile itinerary that takes you to eight exhibitions along Madison Avenue, from midtown to the Upper East Side.

	Start at Ralph M. Chait Galleries at 16 East 52nd Street, on the 10th floor. Exhibition on view: Spring Collection of Chinese Art Focus: Ceramics and Decorative Objects
	Walk north on Madison Avenue. At the corner of 57th Street, you'll reach the Fuller Building. J. J. Lally & Co. is on the 14th Floor. Exhibition on view: Buddhist Sculpture from Ancient China (Note: Two other participating dealers, Alan Kennedy and DAG Modern, are exhibiting in the building.)
	Continue walking north on Madison Avenue, and make a left on 64th Street to reach Littleton & Hennessy Asian Art at Daniel Crouch Rare Books, street number 24.  Exhibition on view: Littleton & Hennessy – 21 Years Focus: Ceramics and Decorative Objects
	Go back to Madison Avenue and walk up two blocks, making a left at 66th Street. At number 3, you'll find Zetterquist Galleries. Exhibition on view: Chinese and Vietnamese Ceramics with Highlights from the Brow Collection
	Stay right where you are! Priestley & Ferraro are exhibiting in the same building, in apartment 8B. Exhibition on view: Chinese & Korean Ceramics & Works of Art
	Go back to Madison Avenue and walk one block north to reach Michael C. Hughes LLC, exhibiting at Gallery Vallois America, 27 East 67th Street. Exhibition on view: Chinese and Korean Works of Art (Note: Robert Hall Asian Art Ltd is also exhibiting in this location.)
	Walk nine more blocks up Madison Avenue to reach Nicholas Grindley at Hazlitt, 17 East 76th Street. Type of objects on view: Furniture, Scholars' Objects and Sculpture
	One block north, in The Mark Hotel, Suite 1207, there's Andrew Kahane, Ltd. Exhibition on view: Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art (Note: This exhibition is only open March 10–12. You can also catch The Art of Japan in the hotel, in Suite 215.)

A custom Google map of the itinerary, which you can share with others, is below:

2017 Gallery Hop: Focus on Jewelry, Arms and Armor

March 1, 2017

For the sixth post in our "2017 Gallery Hop" series, we're highlighting exquisitely crafted objects that are meant to be worn and handled: jewelry, arms, and armor. This 1.6-mile itinerary takes you to four galleries, from the Upper East Side to midtown. Total walking time should be about 35 minutes.

	Start with Runjeet Singh's exhibition at 5 East 82nd Street. Exhibition on view: Arms and Armour from the East (Note: You can also catch Alexis Renard's exhibition of Indian and Islamic Art at this location, and Carole Davenport is exhibiting in Suite 2 of the building.)
	Head to Madison Avenue and walk down nine blocks to Les Enluminures, 23 East 73rd Street, where Susan Ollemans Oriental Art is exhibiting. Exhibition on view: Ancient and Modern Design in Asian Jewels
	Go one block south on Madison Avenue. At the northeastern corner of 72nd Street, you'll find Arader Galleries, where Samina Inc. is exhibiting. Exhibition on view: Jewelled Arts of India (Note: Participating dealer Buddhist Art is also exhibiting at this location.)
	Now for the main stretch of this itinerary—walk west on 72nd Street to reach 5th Avenue. Make a left and continue walking south on the avenue, all the way to 53rd Street. You'll make a right onto 53rd to reach Aaron Faber Gallery, 666 Fifth Avenue, where YEWN is exhibiting. Exhibition on view: Have You Seen "Contemporary Chinese Fine Jewelry" Before?

A custom Google map of the itinerary, which you can share with others, is below:

2017 Gallery Hop: Focus on Korean Contemporary Art

March 1, 2017

For the fifth post in our 2017 Gallery Hop series, we're focusing on Korean contemporary art, with a 4-mile itinerary that takes you to four galleries, from the Upper East Side to Chelsea. We recommend walking to the first 3 exhibitions (about 1 mile), then taking public transportation or a taxi to reach the last gallery in Chelsea. And while you're down there, remember that the Rubin Museum of Art and Tibet House US are not too far away.

	Start at Kang Collection Korean Art at 9 East 82nd Street. Exhibition on view: Korean Contemporary Paintings and Decorative Traditional Arts Focus: Contemporary + Antiques (Note: An exhibition of Indian court painting is also on view in this building, courtesy of participating dealer Oliver Forge & Brendan Lynch Ltd.)
	Head to Madison Avenue and walk down nine blocks to Jason Jacques Gallery, 29 East 73rd Street, where HK Art and Antiques LLC is exhibiting. Exhibition on view: Nature, Rocks, Flowers, Water and Clay Focus: Contemporary + Antiques
	Continue going south on Madison Avenue. At 57th Street, make a left to reach Pace Gallery at number 32. Exhibition on view: Lee Ufan: Ceramics Focus: Contemporary While you're in midtown, you may want to make a pit stop at the Korean Cultural Center at 460 Park Avenue (between 57th and 58th), to see a show of contemporary Korean embroidery.
	To reach Tina Kim Gallery at 525 West 21st Street in Chelsea, 3 miles away, hop onto the bus or subway, or take a taxi. The E train at 5th Avenue and 53rd Street stops at 23rd Street and 8th Avenue, and from there, it's a 10-minute walk away. Exhibition on view: Seoyoung Chung Focus: Contemporary

A custom Google map of the itinerary, which you can share with others, is below:

2017 Gallery Hop: Focus on Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Paintings

February 28, 2017

For the fourth post in our 2017 Gallery Hop series, we're focusing on paintings from India, the Himalayas and Southeast Asia, with a 1.3-mile itinerary that takes you to seven galleries, from the Upper East Side to midtown. This itinerary starts a few feet away from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, so you could pair it with a tour of the Met's Asian art exhibitions. Total walking time should be under 30 minutes, but the time you spend in each gallery, of course, is up to you.

	Start at Alexis Renard's exhibition in the lower level of Tambaran Gallery at 5 East 82nd Street. Type of work on view: Indian and Islamic Art (Note: You can also catch Runjeet Singh's exhibition of arms and armor at this location, and Carole Davenport is exhibiting in Suite 2 of the building.)
	A few feet away, you'll find Oliver Forge & Brendan Lynch Ltd. exhibiting at 9 East 82nd Street. Exhibition on view: Indian Court Painting (Note: An exhibition of Korean contemporary paintings and decorative traditional arts is also on view in this building, courtesy of participating dealer Kang Collection Korean Art.)
	Head to Madison Avenue and walk south for two blocks, then make a right on 80th Street to reach Francesca Galloway at W. M. Brady & Co., 22 East 80th Street. Exhibition on view: Pahari Paintings from the Eva and Konrad Seitz Collection
	Go back to Madison Avenue and continue walking south for two blocks, to reach Prahlad Bubbar at Arader Galleries, 1016 Madison Avenue. Exhibition on view: Indian Paintings and Early Photography 1600–1880: Recent Acquisitions
	Stay right where you are! At the same location, you'll find Tenzing Asian Art. While the paintings in this exhibition take center stage, you'll also find an array of sculptures from the region. Exhibition on view: Buddhist Bronzes, Paintings, and Textiles from the Himalayas (While you're here, you can also catch exhibitions by Walter Arader and Hiroshi Yanagi Oriental Art, all in the same building.)
	Head back down Madison Avenue. At 73rd Street, make a right to reach Navin Kumar Gallery at number 24. Exhibition on view: Himalayan and Indian Art
	Now for the main stretch of this itinerary—go back to Madison Avenue and walk 16 blocks down to the historic Fuller Building at the corner of 57th Street, where you'll be rewarded with an exhibition of 20th century art at DAG Modern, on the 7th Floor. Exhibition on view: The Art of Bengal (Note: Two other participating dealers, J. J. Lally & Co. and Alan Kennedy, are exhibiting in the building.)

A custom Google map of the itinerary, which you can share with others, is below: