These works from SAM's permanent collection reflect innovative inflections in traditional East Asian genres. A gallery of 19th-century Japanese literati painting explores the relationship between a painter and his followers, featuring a triptych of hanging scrolls by scholar-artist Yokoi Kinkoku. In another room, vibrant selections from the Griffith and Patricia Way collection of nihonga (Japanese-style paintings) highlight images of birds in landscape.
This installation also explores the contemporary side of Japanese and Korean art by featuring the work of 20th-century ceramicists, calligraphers and printmakers. Contrary to the popular misconception, the art of these two countries did not decline with their opening to the West but merely evolved, transforming old genres into new vehicles for self-expression.