East Asian Art

c. 1000 BCE–present

East Asian art encompasses the artistic traditions of China, Korea, and Japan. It emphasizes harmony with nature, balance, and philosophical ideas such as Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Calligraphy, ink painting, ceramics, and architecture are central forms. Continuity and refinement are valued over radical stylistic breaks.

Dreaming Pumpkin

Yayoi Kusama

2012

A large, polka-dotted pumpkin sculpture, playful and surreal, linking art with nature.

Bloodline Series

Zhang Xiaogang

1997

Portraits of Chinese families with pale faces and red lines, reflecting memory, identity, and history.

727

Takashi Murakami

1996

A colorful pop-art painting mixing Japanese tradition with manga-inspired characters.

Execution

Yue Minjun

1995

A satirical painting of laughing figures in a firing-squad scene, commenting on politics and violence.