One of the pieces at Asia Society’s ”Universe Is Flux: The Art of Tawara Yusaku” exhibit measures a mere 2×3.5 inches. Despite its diminutive size, it packs an emotional wallop. ”It looks monumental, but it’s so tiny,” marvels Asia Society Texas Center curatorial consultant Hoa Sheng. ”The fact that such a small scale contains so much information and power is a testimony to the power of the artist.” The exhibit, organized by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, is ”about revelation — a very large philosophical theme,” Sheng continues. ”These are the outward realizations of a profound philosophical insight based in Buddhism — that the reality we encounter is in constant change. Nothing is permanent and everything is in flux.”
Yusaku’s works can be deceptive, Sheng admits. ”Look at his works from a distance, or just upon casual encounter. They often look like a gentle stroke — by one brush stroke, one quick movement. But as you look closely, these large strokes disintegrate into tiny, vibrating, individual lines, painted by hand, one after another, over hundreds, sometimes thousands of times. That is the expression of his insight: revealing these vibrating lines that constitute the whole.”
There’s an opening reception at 7 p.m. on June 19. Regular viewing hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Through September 15. 1370 Southmore Blvd. For information, call 713-496-9901 or visit asiasociety.org/texas. Free to $5.
Wednesdays-Sundays. Starts: June 19. Continues through Sept. 15, 2013
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2012.