New Asian Art at National Gallery of Australia explores cultural flows

The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra presents 'New Asian Art', a showcase of recent acquisitions and collection highlights running until April 18, 2027. Curated by Carol Cains and Shaune Lakin, the exhibition spans contemporary works from across Asia, including video installations by Korakrit Arunanondchai, fashion collaborations by Issey Miyake with artists Yasumasa Morimura, Nobuyoshi Araki, Tim Hawkinson, and Cai Guo Qiang, digital works by teamLab, and paintings by Yoshitomo Nara. A suite of Chinese photographic works by Hong Hao, Song Dong, Wang Qingsong, and Yang Fudong, newly acquired, addresses consumerism and identity. Historical nihonga paintings of Mt Fuji, gifted by the International Cultural Appreciation Society of Japan in 1977, and kabuki actor prints from the shin-hanga movement provide context. The exhibition emphasizes performance, impersonation, and the global circulation of cultural forms, contrasting Americanization with Japanese 'soft power'.