Global Asias: Contemporary Asian and Asian American Art

from the Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation

On View: June 4 – September 18, 2022

Drawn from the multifaceted collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, The Heckscher Museum of Art’s exhibition Global Asias examines the cosmopolitan, exuberant, and subtly subversive works of 15 artists of Asian heritage who are adept at crossing borders - not only physical ones, but also those in media, styles, genre, and materials.

Global Asias invites viewers to think about Asia not in singular but plural terms - encouraging audiences to understand Asia as a site of meaning across the globe. The artists in Global Asias were born in Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, Argentina, and the United States. The exhibition provides an opportunity to move away from considering Asia as a geographical location and instead invites viewers to think broadly about how “Asia” has long served as an imaginative construct. The exhibition was Curated by Chang Tan, Assistant Professor of Art History and Asian Studies, Penn State. 

The artists included in this exhibition open our eyes to what it is like to cross boundaries both real and cultural,” shared Collector Jordan Schnitzer, whose family has a longstanding history of championing Asian art and culture. “I hope each viewer is as moved as I am by this exhibition and is challenged and inspired by the art. The power of this exhibition will influence all of us for years to come."

"Global Asias is brimming with fascinating work by internationally renowned artists. As the only East Coast venue for the exhibition, The Heckscher Museum has a unique opportunity to share this timely art with communities across Long Island and beyond," added Karli Wurzelbacher, Curator, The Heckscher Museum of Art.

The 45 works in Global Asias are presented through three themes: Exuberant Forms, Moving Stories, and Asias Reinvented.  The artists include New York based artists Jacob Hashimoto and Barbara Takenaga. 

Exuberant Forms features works that reshape and challenge conventional views of abstract art by exploring new materials, techniques, and metaphors. Kwang Young Chun (b. 1944) exploits the texture of handmade papers in his somber monochromes, while Jacob Hashimoto (b. 1973) mimics the effect of collage in his tour-de-force prints. Jun Kaneko (b. 1942) “flattens” traditional raku ware into explosive two-dimensionality. Hiroki Morinoue (b. 1947) and Barbara Takenaga (b. 1949) create intricate geometric patterns to evoke natural formations.

Moving Stories brings together powerful works that reflect on the experiences of migration, both within Asia and beyond.  Dinh Q. Lê (b.1968) appropriates and masks iconic images of the Vietnam War. Hung Liu (1948-2021) finds inspiration in historical photographs, reinterpreting the genre of portraiture through the lens of displaced and voluntary immigrants.  Roger Shimomura (b. 1939) borrows the visual language of Japanese woodblock prints and Pop art to render the lives of Japanese Americans incarcerated in internment camps during World War II.  Do Ho Suh (b. 1962) and Rirkrit Tiravanjia (b. 1961) map their own diasporic trajectories, literally and metaphorically.

Asias Reinvented highlights two- and three-dimensional works that transform styles and motifs of traditional Asian art to engage, probe, and critique contemporary popular culture and politics. The Pop- and manga-inflected fantasies of Takashi Murakami (b. 1962) and Mariko Mori (b. 1967) are rooted in both the artisanal heritages and the consumerist trends of Japan. Akio Takamori (1950–2017) and Patti Warashina (b. 1940) turn seemingly innocent motifs into uncanny portrayals of life, love, and death. Manabu Ikeda (b. 1973) evokes Hokusai’s famous waves to create a surreal scene of planetary apocalypse.

Following The Heckscher Museum of Art, this nationally touring show will travel to Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana, Oct. 13, 2022 through Jan. 15, 2023; and USC Pacific Asia Art Museum, Pasadena, California, March 10 through June 25, 2023. A catalog accompanies the exhibition and includes 73 color images, and a collector’s statement. Published by the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation      

Artists in The Heckscher Museum Exhibition

Kwang Young Chun                            Hung Liu                                              Do Ho Suh                       

Jacob Hashimoto                                Mariko Mori                                        Akio Takamori

Manabu Ikeda                                    Hiroki Morinoue                                 Barbara Takenaga       

Jun Keneko                                         Takashi Murakami                              Rirkrit Tirayanija

Dinh Q. Lê                                           Roger Shimomura                              Patti Warashina

RELATED PROGRAMS

Art in Bloom

Saturday & Sunday

June 11 & 12

The Heckscher Museum announces the third annual Art in Bloom program. Twelve floral arrangements will be featured that draw inspiration from artworks on view in Moonstruck: Lunar Art from the Collection and Global Asias: Contemporary Asian & Asian American Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. These exhibitions provide a diverse array of artworks to inspire designers from the Museum’s four garden club partners: North Country Garden Club (Oyster Bay), North Suffolk Garden Club (Stony Brook), South Side Garden Club (Bay Shore), and Three Harbors Garden Club (Cold Spring Harbor).

Woodblock Printing with BIG INK

PRINT YOUR ART WITH BIG INK

Free Community Event

Saturday, July 9 & Sunday, July 10

BIG INK, Inc. and The Heckscher Museum team up to host two days of large-scale woodblock printing at the Museum. In addition to their oversized printing press Big Tuna, there will be fun print activities for kids and families throughout the weekend. The program has been organized in coordination with the exhibition Global Asias: Contemporary Asian & Asian American Art from the Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation

ALSO ON VIEW

Moonstruck: Lunar Art from the Collection

Through September 18, 2022

From the nineteenth century to the present, artists have gravitated to the moon for reasons scientific, mythic, and symbolic. Drawn from the Museum’s Collection, this exhibition features a broad range of artwork that explore the enduring fascination with the moon in all its phases. 

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ABOUT JORDAN D. SCNITZER

At age 14, Jordan D. Schnitzer bought his first work of art from his mother’s Portland, Oregon, contemporary art gallery, evolving into a lifelong avocation as a collector. He began collecting contemporary prints and multiples in earnest in 1988. Today, the collection exceeds 19,000 works and includes many of today’s most important contemporary artists. It has grown to be one of the country’s largest private print collections. He generously lends work from his collection to qualified institutions. The Foundation has organized more than 110 exhibitions and has had art exhibited at more than 150 museums. Mr. Schnitzer is also President of Harsch Investment Properties, a privately owned real estate investment company based in Portland, owning and managing office, multi-tenant industrial, multi-family and retail properties in six western states. For more information about the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, please visit jordanschnitzer.org.

ABOUT THE HECKSCHER MUSEUM OF ART

The Heckscher Museum of Art is in its second century as a source of art and inspiration on Long Island.  Founded by philanthropists Anna and August Heckscher in 1920, the Museum’s collection comprises more than 2,300 works from the 16th to the 21st century, including European and American painting, sculpture, works on paper, and photography. Located in scenic Heckscher Park in Huntington, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Visit Heckscher.org for more information.  Timed Ticketing and visitor safety guidelines available on Heckscher.org