SOFA finds

One should probably never admit ignorance, but to abide by that rule would be to deny the excitement of learning.   So should I not admit that I did not know all the artists at SOFA New York because everyone knows them?  Nah.  I am not about to forego one of the most fun things about …

Masters of Mercy – and sartorial splendor

Once I got over marveling at how horribly beautiful hell could be, I found myself staring at the silks -- not the silk Kano Kazunobo painted on, but the silks he depicted the Buddha's disciples wearing.  I'm talking about a selection of 19th-century scroll paintings that form the  centerpiece of  "Masters of Mercy: Buddha’s Amazing …

crossing into hell

"Masters of Mercy" -- what a well constructed show of paintings featuring rakans, the Buddha's disciples (or luohan as the Chinese refer to them) who so often stare out with fierce expressions, as though to remind us that this whole enlightenment business is hard work. The show starts with a couple of paintings by Kano …

Dream Weavers

Love the headline writer who came up with "Far Eastern Dream Weavers" for my review of a luscious show at the Textile Museum.   Two rooms filled with finely woven silks -- more than any one piece,  I wanted to take the whole display.