Wakaji Matsumoto — An Artist in Two Worlds: Los Angeles and Hiroshima, 1917–1944

Online exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum



Wakaji Matsumoto — An Artist in Two Worlds: Los Angeles and Hiroshima, 1917–1944 is an online exhibition and public program about an artist and pioneer in Pictorialism who documented the lives of Japanese immigrant farmers in rural Los Angeles during the early 1900s and created rare images of urban life in Hiroshima prior to the 1945 atomic bombing of the city.

The online exhibition, presented by the Japanese American National Museum, highlights rarely seen early photographs of Los Angeles prior to World War II and of Hiroshima before the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb through the single lens of photographer Wakaji Matsumoto.

"Wakaji Matsumoto's photographs of farms that were operated by Japanese Americans in the Los Angeles area demonstrate the difficult life of Japanese Americans and their resolve and resilience," says Dennis Reed, the curator of the exhibition. "His photographs of Hiroshima are the largest-known photographic archive of the city prior to the atomic bomb. Today, our knowledge of the city's horrific fate lends a pall of melancholy over these tender images. They bear the weight of history."

View the online exhibition here: janm.org/exhibits/wakaji-matsumoto

At First Light: The Dawning of Asian Pacific America

May 25 - October 20, 2019 at the Japanese American National Museum.



If you're in Los Angeles, check out this exhibit opening this weekend at the Japanese American National Museum. At First Light: The Dawning of Asian Pacific America is a multi-media exhibition that explores and celebrates the emergence of a politically defined Asian Pacific American consciousness and identity.

The exhibition chronicles the transformation of the un-American categorization of “Oriental” to the political identity of "Asian Pacific American" that rejected racist stereotypes, stood up for human rights, recovered lost histories, and created new cultural expressions. The exhibition draws from hundreds of thousands of photographs and more than 100 videos in the collections of VC, the first Asian Pacific American media organization in the country, which formed in Los Angeles in 1970 to capture and cultivate the newfound unity that was Asian Pacific America. In the present-day climate of xenophobia and racial profiling, At First Light seeks to strengthen current resistance and resolve by evoking the legacy of Asian Pacific American activism.

At First Light: The Dawning of Asian Pacific America opens on Saturday, May 25 at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. For further information about the exhibition, go here.

Explore Bruce Lee's Seattle legacy in 'A Dragon Lives Here'

Now open at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle



Bruce fans, get yourself to Seattle. The multi-year Do You Know Bruce? exhibition series at the Wing Luke Museum provides fresh and untold perspectives on Bruce Lee's life and his connection to Seattle. Part 4, A Dragon Lives Here, focuses on the martial arts icon's close local ties.

Bruce Lee spent some of his most formative years in Seattle -- learning English, attending university, meeting his future wife, and establishing his first martial arts studio. In this all-new exhibit, retrace Seattle locales special to Bruce Lee and get an up-close look at how this city also shaped his trailblazing approach.

"Bruce Lee is part of Seattle's legacy of entrepreneurship and innovation," says comedian and host of CNN's United Shades of America (and professed Bruce Lee superfan) W. Kamau Bell, who is featured in the museum's intro video for A Dragon Lives Here. "They may not know it yet, but they will: a dragon lives here."

Most Badass Art Show Ever Pays Tribute to Bruce Lee

"Bruce Lee: Spirit of the Dragon," November 3-25 at Sketchpad Gallery


Bruce fans in San Francisco, here's something you'll want to check out. Sketchpad Gallery and the Bruce Lee Foundation present Bruce Lee: Spirit of the Dragon, a group art exhibition and charity show dedicated to Bruce Lee and his teachings. It runs November 3-25, with an opening reception on Friday, November 3.

"Spirit of the Dragon" features both local and international artists, who have done work for such companies as Lucasfilm, Pixar, Lucasfilm Animation, Industrial Light and Magic, Marvel Comics, DC, IDW, Sony and more.

Featured artists include: Kim Jung Gi, Kim Hyun Jin, Nathan Anderson, Bagger43, John-Paul Balmet, Arvin Bautista, Jamie Borja, Dawn Carlos, Cryssy Cheung, Isaac Davis, Thomas Denmark, Jackson Dryden, Duke Duel, Emonic, Nikki Lukas Longfish, Dela Longfish, Steward Lee, Ben Jelter, Kevin Kwong, Frank T Lin, Brian Kistler, Robotnicc, Dean Stuart, Lloyd Thompson, Dave Yee, Carolina Zeleski, Jeeyoon Park, Le Tang, Chris Koehler, Gary Choo, Alina Chau, and Sinic Choy, to be joined by additional artists.

Here's some sample work from "Spirit of the Dragon":

Day in the Life of Bruce Lee: Do You Know Bruce? Part 3

Opens October 1, 2016 at The Wing Luke Museum in Seattle



Bruce fans! Check it. Next week, the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle will open the third year of the Do You Know Bruce? exhibition series -- a unique look at the life, career and philosophy of Bruce Lee. Developed in partnership with Bruce Lee's wife and daughter and the Bruce Lee Foundation, it's the only interactive exhibition, outside of Hong Kong, about the influential martial arts superstar.

Featuring personal family items and memorabilia, Do You Know Bruce? gives both an intimate and wide angle approach to detailing Lee's personal philosophy as well as the external influences and circumstances that helped shaped his journey from a young student in Seattle to a global icon who continues to inspire millions.

Part 3 of the exhibition, opening October 1, is themed "Day in the Life of Bruce Lee" and explores what it took to become "Bruce Lee." You'll get a glimpse of how Bruce Lee approached his every day -- from his personal habits, routines, and work out strategies to his written and visual art, reading, and time with family and friends -- and find your own inspiration and approach to honestly and authentically expressing yourself.

Here are some details on the exhibition's opening day activities:

The Sikh Project

Portraits of Sikh American men and women explore the style and significance of the Sikh articles of faith.



New York! The Sikh Coalition invites you to The Sikh Project, the first-ever art exhibition exclusively featuring Sikh Americans. From acclaimed British photographers Amit and Naroop, the exhibition will feature 40 portraits of Sikh American men and women that explore the style and significance of the Sikh articles of faith.

The exhibition, which will be free to the general public, highlights generations of Sikh American history that embodies perseverance and progress as we commemorate the 15-year anniversary of 9/11. The Sikh Project will run September 17-25 at 530 Broadway in Manhattan.

Here are some more details about the exhibition:

Giant Robot Biennale 4

October 11, 2015 - January 24, 2016 at the Japanese American National Museum



Hey, Los Angeles! The Japanese American National Museum invites you to Giant Robot Biennale 4, its fourth exhibition in collaboration with Giant Robot founder Eric Nakamura. This edition of the popular series will examine the evolution of the Giant Robot aesthetic from its humble origins in drawing to its many celebrated manifestations in painting, installation, muralism and photography.

Biennale 4 will kick off with a free opening celebration this Saturday, October 10, featuring live and deejay music, food, and a no-host bar. The exhibition will run through January 24, 2016.

Here's a list of the participating artists:

Do You Know Bruce? Breaking Barriers

The Bruce Lee Exhibit, October 3, 2015 - September 4, 2016 at The Wing



My fellow Bruce fans, this one's for you. The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience in Seattle is opening the second phase of its multi-year exhibition on the legendary martial arts icon, Do You Know Bruce? Breaking Barriers. I had the honor of writing the main panel text for the exhibit.

Featuring new and rarely seen memorabilia -- including the largest display ever of The Green Hornet toys and collectibles -- Year 2 focuses on Bruce's larger than life, stereotype-busting impact in the media and film industry. The exhibit opens with a day-long celebration on Saturday, October 3.

Here are some more details about the exhibit:

Water to Paper, Paint to Sky: The Art of Tyrus Wong

March 26 - September 23, 2015 at the Museum of Chinese in America



If you're in New York, the Museum of Chinese in America invites you Water to Paper, Paint to Sky: The Art of Tyrus Wong, an exhibition of celebrated painter, muralist, kite-maker, lithographer and calligrapher Tyrus Wong and his extraordinary body of work. It opens March 26 and runs through September 13.

Here are some more details about the exhibition:

Giant Robot presents Return of the Hot Pot Girls

Exhibition of New Work by Katsuya Terada, November 15 - December 3



If you're in Los Angeles, Giant Robot invites you to its latest exhibition Return of the Hot Pot Girls, featuring new work by legendary artist Katsuya Terada. It runs November 15 to December 3 at GR2, with an opening reception this Saturday, and a digital demonstration and book signing on Sunday.

Here are some more details about the exhibition:

Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty

October 11, 2014 - April 26, 2015 at the Japanese American National Museum



Hello Kitty fans, make some plans to be in Los Angeles. The Japanese American National Museum invites you to Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty, a special exhibition in celebration of the 40th anniversary(!) of pop icon Hello Kitty, running October 11 through April 26, 2015.

The first-of-its-kind exhibition will combine a product-based historical and sociological examination of Hello Kitty, including rare and unique pieces from Sanrio's archives, with an installation of mixed media works by artists demonstrating Hello Kitty's influence on contemporary art.

Hello! is curated by Christine Yano, PhD, author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty's Trek Across the Pacific, and Jamie Rivadeneira, founder and owner of the Los Angeles pop culture boutique JapanLA. The exhibition's six-month run will also include lectures, panel discussions and workshops.

Here are some more details about the exhibit:

Giant Robot: 20 Years Art X Mags Exhibition

March 15 - April 2 at GR2



Damn, it really has been twenty years. Giant Robot began in 1994 as a zine which soon became a full-fledged magazine. GR shuttered print publication a couple of years ago, but it still exists as a website, retailer and art gallery. Over the last two decades, the brand has become a beacon for Asian pop culture and beyond.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Giant Robot presents 20 Years Art X Mags Exhibition, running March 15 to April 2 at GR2 in Los Angeles. And if you're in the Bay Area mark your calendars for the SuperAwesome: Art and Giant Robot exhibition at the Oakland Museum of California, April 19 to July 27.

Here are some more details:

Giant Robot presents Year of the Horse

February 1-19 at GR2



If you're in Los Angeles, Giant Robot invites you to ring in the lunar new year with an art show. Year of the Horse, running February 1-19, is a group exhibition featuring works from over fifty artists. Things kick off this Saturday, February 1 with a reception at GR2. Here are some more details about the show:

Giant Robot presents Merging Views

January 11-29 at GR2



If you're in Los Angeles, Giant Robots invites you to Merging Views, its first art exhibition of 2014. Featuring the work of artists of Godeleine de Rosamel, Wayne Johnson, Kwanchai Moriya, Stasia Burrington, Dan McCarthy, and Dan-ah Kim, the exhibition runs January 11-29 at GR2. The show kicks off with an opening reception on Saturday, January 11. Here are some more details:

Serve the People: The Asian American Movement in New York

Exhibition running through February 23 at Interference Archive



If you're in New York, don't miss Serve the People: The Asian American Movement in New York, a multimedia exhibition charting a history of Asian American activism, organizing, and cultural production in the 1970s, running now through February 23 at Interference Archive in Brooklyn. Curated by Ryan Wong, it's the first exhibition to focus on New York as a center of this national phenomenon. Here are some more details: