Art
Seattle sculpture honoring 1886 Chinese expulsion hits funding goal
A public art project more than two decades in the making cleared its final financial hurdle last week, paving the way for the fabrication of a bronze sculpture at the site where Seattle’s Chinese…
Asian American Arts Centre makes emergency plea to save historic collection
Frozen sprinkler pipes burst in a building that houses the Asian American Arts Centre (AAAC) collection in Flushing, Queens, last month, flooding the space and putting hundreds of artworks and…
Japanese artist blasts DHS for using his art in deportation post
Hiroshi Nagai, a 79-year-old Japanese illustrator known for nostalgic coastal scenes, says the Department of Homeland Security used his artwork without permission in a social media post promoting…
Met Museum returns 18th Century Buddhist painting to South Korea
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned a Buddhist painting from 1798 to a South Korean temple, acknowledging the work was believed taken while the temple was under U.S. Army control during the…
Korean masterworks make US debut at Smithsonian
More than 200 rare works from Korea’s most significant private art donation opened to the public on Saturday at the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., where they will remain on view…
Bruce Lee to appear on 2026 USPS Forever stamp
The U.S. Postal Service announced plans to honor Bruce Lee with a national commemorative Forever stamp to be issued in 2026. Designed by art director Antonio Alcalá and illustrated by artist Kam Mak,…
Mural honoring Japanese Americans vandalized again in Seattle’s Chinatown
A mural honoring Japanese American history in Nihonmachi Alley of Seattle’s Chinatown-International District was vandalized with spray paint last weekend, marking the second attack on the artwork…
Seattle author Tessa Hulls wins Pulitzer for debut graphic memoir
Seattle-based Chinese American author Tessa Hulls has won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for memoir or autobiography for her graphic memoir “Feeding Ghosts.” About Hulls and her book: “Feeding Ghosts,”…
Bangladeshi fruit vendor moved to tears as banana he sold for 35 cents fetches millions
Shah Alam, a 74-year-old Bangladeshi fruit vendor in Manhattan, was shocked to discover that a banana he sold for 35 cents was later auctioned off for $6.2 million at Sotheby’s auction house as the…
Seattle murals to celebrate Bruce Lee’s legacy on his 84th birthday
Two new murals honoring Bruce Lee, created by artist Louie Gong, will be installed in Seattle’s Chinatown International District this week to coincide with Lee’s 84th birthday on Nov. 27. The 10-foot…
Crypto entrepreneur buys $6 million duct-taped banana — and plans to either eat it or send it to space
Justin Sun, founder of the Tron blockchain and cryptocurrency, purchased Maurizio Cattelan’s controversial artwork “Comedian” for $6.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction on Wednesday. The artwork,…
Charli XCX reveals how she chose iconic green text cover for ‘Brat’
In a recent interview with Apple Music, Charli XCX revealed that the iconic chartreuse text cover for her album “Brat” was originally a cost-saving decision. Charli admitted she chose the minimalist…
South Korean novelist becomes 1st Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature
Novelist Han Kang has made history by becoming the first Asian woman and first South Korean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy awarded her the prestigious prize for her…
Study suggests iconic Lion of Venice was made in China
A new study has suggested that Venice, Italy’s iconic winged lion statue may have been created in China well before Marco Polo’s famous travels. Researchers from the University of Padua announced in…
‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’ exhibition opens at Asian Art Museum in San Francisco
“Hallyu! The Korean Wave,” an immersive exhibition celebrating the global phenomenon of Korean pop culture, is currently on display at the Asian Art Museum (200 Larkin St., San Francisco). Open…
Pulitzer winner declines NY museum award in protest of keffiyeh ban
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri declined an award from New York City’s Noguchi Museum after it fired three employees for violating its new employee dress code by wearing keffiyeh head…
Ang Lee honored with prestigious Praemium Imperiale award
Taiwan-born film director Ang Lee, renowned for his work on “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Life of Pi” and “Brokeback Mountain,” has been named one of the five recipients of the prestigious…
Chinese artist, 68, detained for ‘slandering’ Mao Zedong in retroactive crackdown
Chinese artist Gao Zhen, 68, was detained in China on allegations of slandering national heroes and martyrs. Gao Zhen, known for provocative artworks critiquing Mao Zedong and the Cultural…
Unearthed Tang dynasty tomb shows mural of blond ‘Westerner’
A Tang dynasty tomb, discovered during a hillside road reconstruction project in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, in 2018 but only publicly revealed in June, reportedly features a mural depicting a…
Pakistani American sculptor’s ‘satanic’ golden statue beheaded in Texas
A controversial statue by artist Shahzia Sikander at the University of Houston was beheaded amid Hurricane Beryl on the morning of July 15. The 18-foot golden statue, titled “Witness,” was originally…
San Francisco is looking for Asian American artists
San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced the launch of the Chinatown Artist Registry on Thursday, encouraging artists to apply for consideration in three upcoming publicly funded art projects in…
Grammy Museum to exhibit K-pop memorabilia
The Grammy Museum, located in Los Angeles, will run “HYBE: We Believe in Music,” an immersive exhibit featuring articles from Hybe acts — including BTS, Seventeen, Tomorrow X Together, Enhypen and Le…
Studio Ghibli shows how it created its vibrant worlds in new English art book
Studio Ghibli is set to release an English version of its art book that shows how Hayao Miyazaki and his company created their movies’ vibrant structures and landscape. Key points:
Chinese American Museum honors Anna May Wong with new exhibit
The Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles is honoring Anna May Wong, a pioneering Asian American Hollywood actress, with a new exhibit titled “Unmasking Anna May Wong.” Key points:
Luxembourg court rules in favor of photographer who claimed artist plagiarized her work
A Luxembourg court has ruled that Jeff Dieschburg, the artist accused of copying Singaporean photographer Jingna Zhang’s work, committed plagiarism. Key points:
100-year-old anime discovered in Japan
A silent anime film, believed to be over 100 years old, has been discovered in Japan. Key points:
Japanese companies tap AI start-up to translate 50,000 manga into English
Japanese companies are investing in artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize the translation of Japanese manga into English, aiming for efficiency and rapid expansion. Key points:
Korean American artist paints Chicago mural at 1,000 feet
Muralist Katie Chung put a colorful, neighborhood-focused spin on an iconic Chicago tourist attraction. Key points:
Asian American Literature Festival revived after Smithsonian cancellation
The Asian American Literature Festival (AALF) is set to make its return in September 2024 after its abrupt cancellation by the Smithsonian Institution last year. last year.
Duke hosts Corky Lee exhibition during AANHPI Heritage Month
Duke University is hosting an exhibition of Corky Lee’s photographs that document over 50 years of Asian American life and social justice movements. Key points:
White House appoints its first-ever Asian American Curator
Donna Hayashi Smith, a member of the White House’s Office of the Curator for over two decades, has been appointed as the new curator. Key points:
Indian American poet Meena Alexander honored with Google Doodle
Google Doodle honors Meena Alexander as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month kicked off on Wednesday. Key points:
New York authorities return 30 looted artifacts to Cambodia, Indonesia
New York authorities have facilitated the return of 30 looted artifacts to Cambodia and Indonesia. Key points:
How a Chinese painter turns himself ‘invisible’ to help save the planet
A Chinese painter, skilled in seamlessly blending into his surroundings using body paint, is harnessing his social media fame to promote environmental protection. Key points:
Vietnamese American multimedia artist Dinh Q. Lê dies at 56
Dinh Q. Lê, a Vietnamese American artist whose work critiqued the impact of the Vietnam War, has died at the age of 56. Key points:
New SF exhibit showcases centuries of artistic evolution through Japanese woodblock prints
A new exhibit at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco takes visitors on a trip through Japanese history through intricate woodblock prints. Key points:
