"The Art of Asian Languages" explores culture, language, globalization through visual art

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

(STILLWATER, Okla., April 4, 2017) — The OSU Museum of Art is pleased to introduce The Art of Asian Languages on view from April 4 – June 10, 2017.

The exhibition of 40 works explores intersections between art and written language in contemporary East Asian culture. Representing a variety of styles and media, the artworks convey not only the complex cultural heritage of calligraphy and bookmaking in traditional Asia, but they also respond to recent changes in Asian politics and social environments.

Some artworks in the exhibition explore the associations between propagandistic uses of language in public formats, such as posters and the exercise of political power, while others present the artists’ fascination with the formal qualities of language. A third group of works focuses on the relationship between traditional Asian characters and high-tech digital means of creating them in the age of globalization.

Through the presentation of different cultural experiences, The Art of Asian Languages seeks to raise awareness about globalization issues and cultural boundaries we confront today.

The OSU Museum of Art organized this exhibition in conjunction with the Museum Exhibition course taught in the spring 2017 semester at OSU. It was curated by Shaoqian Zhang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Art History, in conjunction with four students: Micah Firestone, Ellie Fuksa, Cheyanne Myers, and Katheryn Woodard. 

Alongside the exhibition, the OSU Museum of Art is offering the following events at no cost to the public.
Opening Reception: April 4, 5 pm to 7 pm
Artist + Curator Conversation: A Glimpse of Chinese Modern Education: April 13, 5 pm, featuring artist Yu Ji and curator Shaoqian Zhang.

Funding for this exhibition provided in part by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities (OH) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of OH or NEH. Exhibitions in this gallery at the museum are made possible with the generous support of Dick and Malinda Fischer.