Recent Acquisitions: Curator’s Choice, Part II

This is the second part of a two-part exhibition introducing exciting, recently acquired works from UMMA’s collections gifted to the museum during the past five years. Associate Curator of Asian Art Natsu Oyobe selected works of Asian art, both historic and modern, such as pieces by leading Japanese ceramic artist Kôyama Kiyoko, as well as works by contemporary European and American artists, among them acclaimed Michigan artist Larry Cressman.

The exhibition includes woodwork and basketry objects from Korea and China, contemporary wood sculpture and sculptural pottery, Hindu and Buddhist representations of religious icons, and a range of prints. The human form, whether a sacred icon or a highly personal portrait, is an enduring subject matter in the visual cultures of Asia and America. While Buddhism and Hinduism produced intricate and fascinating visual representations of religious icons, these contrast with the simple forms of human beings in the work of modern Japanese printmaker Saitô Kiyoshi and contemporary American artist Michele Oka Doner.