Thru Mar 27: LACMA exhibiting “Japanese Painters Look to China”

Portrait of Yue Fei by Tsubaki Chinzan -19th century

Tsubaki Chinzan, Japan, 1801-54, Portrait of Yue Fei, 19th century, Hanging scroll; ink and colors on paper, 125.7 x 54.0 cm. (Collection of LACMA)

Paintings in the exhibition “Japanese Painters Looks to China” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art reveal trends within the second and third waves of powerful interest in China which occurred during Japan’s history, the first happening in the Heian period (8th to 12th centuries), followed by the second from late Kamakura through Muromachi periods (13th to 16th centuries), and a last in the 17th to 19th centuries, the end of Momoyama through early Meiji eras.

In this exhibition, the so-called kanga style blends Chinese Song and Yuan dynasty (about 12th to 14th centuries) manners with Japanese aesthetics of asymmetrical balance and shallow space.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art is located at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Museum hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 12 noon – 8 pm; Friday 12 noon – 9 pm; Saturday and Sunday 11 am – 8 pm; and closed Wednesdays.

For further information about Japanese art exhibitions at LACMA, call (323) 857-6565. www.lacma.org