#bkmartsofasia

Bruce Lee 🤝 Tom of Finland

In the artwork shown here, Oscar yi Hou performs the role of Kato, the sidekick and valet of the protagonist in the 1960s television show “The Green Hornet.” The actor, Bruce Lee, insisted on portraying Kato as a masterful martial artist to counter his subservient role. In homage to Lee, and in reference to the homoerotic art of Tom of Finland, the artist portrays Kato as queerly hypermasculine, destabilizing our perceived notions of masculinity. 

See each of yi Hou’s 11, unique paintings as part of Oscar yi Hou: East of sun, west of moon through September 17. 

Two powerful pairs stand before you… 🐶🐯

Be it Hollywood film stills, zodiac symbols, or even Chinese and Japanese artworks from our collection, Oscar yi Hou’s process typically involves appropriating and transforming details from a broad range of source material. In the end, his central subjects are part of a collage-like composition of “Oriental” and “Western” imagery—descriptors the artist uses to highlight the perceived foreignness of people from East Asia. 

In yi Hou’s work, shown here, he references the late 18th-early 19th century nephrite jade object from our Asian Art collection. 

Come explore the symbolism in East Asian ceramics! 🫖

During the Teacher Workshop on April 19, we’ll observe objects in our Arts of Asia collection—from storage jars to offering vessels—before reimagining these forms and their decorations using coil-building techniques and self-hardening clay. No prior ceramic experience is necessary.

This program is free—just RSVP: http://bit.ly/40q5E1A

Happy Diwali! ✨

The festival of Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness. Families come together to light oil lamps and fireworks and everyone indulges in sweets and fried foods. Although he is not central to the holiday, the elephant-headed god Ganesha is often included in Diwali observances because he helps people to overcome obstacles in the coming year and because he is famously fond of the same sweets that are available in abundance during the holiday.

You can see this artwork on view on the newly reopened second floor of the Museum, entirely dedicated to the Arts of Asia and the Islamic World.

Oscar yi Hou’s artistic process often begins with a reference image. 

In this painting, for example, you can see the artist’s allusions to Wang Wen’s “Mountain Hermitage in Summer” from our Asian Art collection. Swipe to see close-up views of the Ming Dynasty details that yi Hou interpreted as part of his own work for this series, called “Coolieisms,” a title that points to the denigrated status that Americans assigned to East Asian immigrants as early as the nineteenth century.

Visit Oscar yi Hou: East of sun, west of moon through September 17.

When school’s out, Summer Camp is in! 😎

Young artists ages 8–10 and 11–13 are in for a real artistic adventure with this summer’s schedule inspired by our exhibitions and collections:

✍️ July 3–7: Sculpture and animation inspired by DEATH TO THE LIVING, Long Live Trash 🎨  July 31–August 4: Mixed media and photography inspired by Africa Fashion

Learn more about Summer Camp, including scholarship opportunities (available on a first-come, first-served basis) and save your spot: https://bit.ly/summercampbkm 

How many of our current exhibitions have you visited? ☝️, ✌️, 🖐️?⁠ ⁠ This weekend brings the addition of Jimmy DeSana: Submission, too! Find out more about what's on view and what's in store at the Brooklyn Museum: 

🔗 https://bit.ly/3rV2iDy

What do each of these artworks have in common? They really grow on you. 🧔⁠ ⁠ We can't let #WorldBeardDay pass without sharing some of the glorious, global, and even ancient beards from our collection.