Asian Art Collection

LAUNCHING THE BLUE & WHITE CATALOGUE

By Dr, Heng Wu, AGGV Curator of Asian Art 

The Blue and White exhibition was so well received that a catalogue was created with the aim to provide an alternative way to enjoy the themes throughout the exhibition.

Catching Up With AGGV Curator of Asian Art, Heng Wu

In 2019, the AGGV welcomed Heng Wu as the new Curator of Asian Art. We catch up with her three years on to get an update on her role and the evolution of the Gallery’s diverse collection of Asian art.

Where My Heart Settles, Is Where My Home Is

By Heng Wu, Curator of Asian Art, AGGV.

A horse-drawn carriage passing the Legislative Assembly building, instantly captured in freehand-style brushwork, resonating with a festival night in China about 900 years ago recorded in a poem by the Chinese poet Xin Qiji (1140-1207). A young girl in traditional Chinese dress dancing under a maple tree, paired with a line transcribed in the seal-script calligraphy, which reads, “Where my heart settles, is where my home is.” The colorful float homes gilding Victoria’s Fisherman’s Wharf rendered in traditional Chinese ink wash with a tone of Western oil painting. 

Artist In Our Collection: Hiroshi Yoshida

By Audrey Wang, AGGV Volunteer

Hiroshi Yoshida (Japanese, 1876-1950) is well known not only as a master print-maker in the early part of the 20th century, but also as an avid traveler and a proponent of a blending of modern Western and traditional Japanese art techniques.

Say What? Art Terms For Beginners, Part 19

The current exhibition The Places We Live In considers the many ways artists interpret the natural world around them, from the micro to the macro. The range of works featured here is equally varied! This issue of Art Terms takes a few wide-ranging, unrelated, examples from this exhibition.

10 Things To Know About Decorative Themes in Chinese Blue and White Porcelain

By Audrey Wang, AGGV Volunteer

With its origins in China, this quarter’s column of “10 Things To Know” will look at Chinese blue and white porcelain and its myriad decorative themes. Behind every design element are symbolic meanings relevant to the maker or to the eventual owner of the piece. What does each theme signify and what does that tell us about the piece?

The Story of Blue and White

By Audrey Wang, AGGV Volunteer

Did you ever wonder why fine porcelain is called “china”? Or why the habit of pouring milk into a porcelain teacup before pouring the tea became outdated? It all harks back to the origins of blue and white porcelain from the Yuan and early Ming Dynasties and its far-reaching influence on the rest of the world.