
Asia Society Museum
725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street)
New York 10021
at 70th Street
(212) 288 6400
asiasociety.org/newyork
The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am-5pm (last reservation at 4pm). Admission is by advanced, timed ticketing, until February 28th, after which walk-ins are welcome.

The Fathers of the People of Error Are Punished in Hell, miniature from a copy of Hamla-i Haydari (‘Ali’s Exploits) (detail), Deccan, Hyderabad(?), ca. 1800, manuscript page: ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, The David Collection, Copenhagen, 19/2015
The Fathers of the People of Error Are Punished in Hell, miniature from a copy of Hamla-i Haydari (‘Ali’s Exploits) (detail), Deccan, Hyderabad(?), ca. 1800, manuscript page: ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, The David Collection, Copenhagen, 19/2015

Enma-ō, King and Judge of Hell, Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573), 16th century
Wood with gesso and traces of polychrome, inlaid glass eyes
Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. George Mann, 79.277
Enma-ō, King and Judge of Hell, Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573), 16th century
Wood with gesso and traces of polychrome, inlaid glass eyes
Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. George Mann, 79.277

Kawanabe Kyōsai (1831–1889), Even in Hell Money Counts (Jigoku no sata mo kane shidai), Bugs in the Food of the Hungry Ghost (Gaki no mono ni mushi), from the series One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (Kyōsai hyakuzu), Edo period (1615–1868), 1863–66 (Bunkyū 3–Keiō 2),
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection, 11.37028
Kawanabe Kyōsai (1831–1889), Even in Hell Money Counts (Jigoku no sata mo kane shidai), Bugs in the Food of the Hungry Ghost (Gaki no mono ni mushi), from the series One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (Kyōsai hyakuzu), Edo period (1615–1868), 1863–66 (Bunkyū 3–Keiō 2),
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection, 11.37028
Comparative Hell: Arts of Asian Underworlds
February 28-May 7, 2023
The first comprehensive exhibition in the United States to explore portrayals of hell across the Asian religious traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Islam, Comparative Hell: Arts of Asian Underworlds, examines how systems of belief and the underworlds within them are manifest in the rich artistic creations of Asia.
Exceptional and visually stunning artworks explore the impact of conceptions of hell on Asian visual culture over time. Didactic paintings, sculptures, and sacred objects introduce the notions of Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Islamic cosmology, as well as ideas about judgment, punishment, and salvation after death—many of which are shared by these traditions. Exhibition artworks portray religious threats of fiery torture as a means to shape values and beliefs, to instill virtuous behavior, and to encourage atonement for sins—reflecting a universal human desire for spiritual transformation.
Summoning Memories: Art Beyond Chinese Traditions
February 10-July 2, 2023
Opening reception: February 10 at 5:30-8pm with a conversation between curator Dr. Susan Beningson and five artists
Summoning Memories: Art Beyond Chinese Traditions highlights works by over 30 contemporary artists of Chinese descent who reinterpret traditions in dynamic and innovative ways. Across painting, sculpture, and photography, these works were created by both established and emerging artists of different generations who use experimentation to draw on both Eastern and Western art-making practices and materials. They push boundaries that manipulate traditional materials and develop unique fabrication processes.
The artworks focus on experimental ink painting, calligraphy, deconstructed language, landscapes (real and imaginary), cityscapes, and celestial patterns. Landscapes borrow from time-honored imagery, but the artists in this exhibition subvert their visual language and meaning. They respond to our present-day concerns about urbanization, the fragmentation of landscapes created by the degradation of the environment, and the rapid pace of China’s modernization, among other urgent issues. Ultimately, these artists summon memories of the past to move beyond its specter, forging new artistic ground on which to build.
Yun-Fei Ji, The Three Gorges Dam Migration (detail), 2008, ink and watercolor on xuan paper mounted on silk, Courtesy the artist and James Cohan Gallery
Lain Singh Bangdel: Moon Over Kathmandu
November 30, 2022-April 30, 2023
Lain Singh Bangdel: Moon Over Kathmandu brings to life many of the notable contributions of Nepal’s preeminent modern artist, Lain Singh Bangdel, originally debuting at Yeh Art Gallery, St. John's University.