LA’s Amazing Asian Art & Cultural Scene
From ancient art to contemporary works, Los Angeles museums are showcasing world-class collections of Asian art and Asian American cultural history. The big news is the long-anticipated, newly designed Korean American National Museum is scheduled to open in 2022. And just a short drive from The Pearl, LACMA is currently hosting two exhibitions by internationally renowned Asian artists. And if you love calligraphy, don’t miss A Garden of Words: The Calligraphy of Liu Fang Yuan at The Huntington’s new art gallery in the Chinese Garden. All around the city, you’ll find treasures galore when you explore LA’s amazing Asian art and cultural scene.
Korean American National Museum
3727 W 6th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Opening in 2022 The Korean American National Museum’s museum’s future location is right in the heart of LA’s Koreatown, near the intersection of Sixth St. and Vermont Ave. Designed by renowned Los Angeles-based Morphosis Architects, the permanent site of the two-story, 30,000 square-foot museum holds great significance for past and future generations of the largest community of ethnic Koreans in the world outside of Asia. The Korean American National Museum was established to interpret and preserve Korean American history, culture and achievements.
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
LACMA’s current exhibitions include two intriguing shows by internationally renowned Asian artists. Legacies of Exchange: Chinese Contemporary Art from the Yuz Foundation presents works by Ai Weiwei, Huang Yong Ping, Wang Guangyi, Xu Bing, Yue Minjun and more. The other exhibition features Yoshitomo Nara, who is among the most beloved Japanese artists of his generation. Nara’s widely recognizable portraits of menacing figures reflect the artist’s raw encounters with his inner self.
A Garden of Words: The Calligraphy of Liu Fang Yuan
The Huntington
1151 Oxford Rd.
San Marino, CA 91108
Celebrating the recent opening of the final phase of its Chinese Garden, The Huntington presents an exhibition of contemporary Chinese calligraphy as the inaugural installation in the garden’s new art gallery, the Studio for Lodging the Mind. The exhibition, designed to illuminate the art form and foster deeper appreciation of its expressive qualities, features the work of 21 contemporary ink artists including Bai Qianshen, Michael Cherney, Grace Chu, Fu Shen, Lo Ch’ing, Tang Qingnian, Wang Mansheng, Wan-go Weng, Zhu Chengjun, and Terry Yuan, among others.
The Huntington
1151 Oxford Rd.
San Marino, CA 91108
Inspired by the gardens of Suzhou, a city located near Shanghai in southeastern China, Liu Fang Yuan or the Garden of Flowing Fragrance is one of the finest classical-style Chinese gardens outside of China. Filled with Chinese plants and framed by exquisite architecture, the landscape is enriched with references to literature and art. Visitors can find both physical relaxation and mental stimulation when exploring the dramatic 15-acre garden.
The Huntington
1151 Oxford Rd.
San Marino, CA 91108
For over a century, the historic Japanese Garden has been one of the most beloved and iconic landscapes at The Huntington, with its distinctive moon bridge, picture-postcard views of koi-filled ponds and the historic Japanese House. Since the institution opened to the public in 1928, the Japanese Garden is arguably one of the most popular spots at The Huntington. Highlights include the Japanese House, Ceremonial Teahouse, Bonsai Collection and Zen Court.
46 N Los Robles Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101
Established in 1971, the USC Pacific Asia Museum is one of few U.S. institutions dedicated to the arts and culture of Asia and the Pacific Islands. In its brief history, the museum has organized and presented a number of groundbreaking exhibitions, including the first North American exhibitions of contemporary Chinese art after the Revolution and the first exhibition of Aboriginal art in the United States. Exhibitions originated by the museum have traveled across the country and to Japan. The museum is also committed to scholarship and has produced more than 50 exhibition catalogues.
308 Charles E Young Drive East
Los Angeles 90024
The Fowler Museum at UCLA explores global arts and cultures with an emphasis on works from Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas—past and present. The collections from Insular Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and aboriginal Taiwan, are among the strongest in the United States. The Indonesian and Philippine textiles reinforce the Fowler Museum’s standing as a major repository for the textile arts. The collections from mainland Asia are smaller but growing rapidly.
Japanese American National Museum
100 N Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
As the national repository of Japanese American history, the Japanese American National Museum, (JANM) creates groundbreaking historical and arts exhibitions, educational public programs, award-winning documentaries, and innovative curriculum that illuminate the stories and the rich cultural heritage of people of Japanese ancestry in the United States. JANM also speaks out when diversity, individual dignity and social justice are undermined, vigilantly sharing the hard-fought lessons accrued from this history. Its underlying purpose is to transform lives and create a better world.
425 N Los Angeles St.
Los Angeles 90012
The Chinese American Museum (CAM) is the first museum in Southern California dedicated to examining the United States of America’s cultural and ethnic diversity by sharing the Chinese American experience and history. Symbolically located in the last surviving structure of Los Angeles’ original Chinatown, CAM seeks to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the rich cultural legacy and continuing contributions of Chinese Americans in Los Angeles.
Photo credits:
Photo #1: The Huntington Library
Photo #2: Korean American National Museum
Photo #3: LACMA
Photo #4: The Huntington Library
Photo #5: The Huntington Library
Photo #6: The Huntington Library
Photo #7: USC Pacific Asia Museum
Photo #8: The Fowler Museum at UCLA
Photo #9: Japanese American National Museum
Photo #10: The Chinese American Museum