Chinese Ink Art Meets Japanese-American Sculpture at Noguchi Museum Until 2014

Qi Baishi is one of the most influential Chinese ink painters of the 20th century. Isamu Noguchi, who lived in Japan and the United States, was one of the most critically acclaimed sculptors of the same time period. In 1930, Noguchi met Baishi in Beijing, and they spent about six months developing a new vision of abstraction. Baishi fueled Noguchi’s interest in brush and ink on paper, enabling him to develop a new approach to interpreting the human form. Noguchi also discovered that he could create almost life-sized works by painting on a table or floor as per East Asian tradition. Their creative-cultural exchange comes to life in an exhibit that launched yesterday and will remain at The Noguchi Museum until January 26th, 2014. More than 50 drawings, ink paintings, calligraphic works and sculptures by both artists are seen side-by-side for the first time.

Details: Isamu Noguchi and Qi Baishi: Beijing 1930, The Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Road, Long Island City, September 25th, 2013 to January 26th, 2014, click here for admission information.

Photo by the Noguchi Museum