shipu wang

Utah Museum of Fine Arts’ Pictures of Belonging exhibition impressively commands viewers to think anew about American modernism

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In a 2007 essay, art historian ShiPu Wang wrote that the works of Asian-American artists “are more than painterly creations that exude ‘transcendental beauty’ beyond cultural boundaries.” He added, “Their meaning and significance constantly shift and expand under different sociopolitical circumstances, and they do not remain incontrovertible objects or artifacts.” In her 1990 book, Mixed … Read more

UMFA’s Chiura Obata: An American Modern exhibition – an artistic meta-narrative of immigrant’s faith in American experiment

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From his earliest days in California after he arrived in 1903 from Okayama, Japan, Chiura Obata (1885-1975) committed himself to become part of American society. At 18, the young artist even joined an elementary school to work on his English. He studied briefly at the San Francisco Art Institute, realizing that he perhaps could learn … Read more