Kansas City, MO. July 21, 2015

Exhibition Explores Seasons from East Asian Perspective 

A celebration of art of the seasons by Chinese, Japanese, and Korean artists opened at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City and will be on view until July 18th, 2016. Flowers to Frost: Four Seasons in East Asian Art explores East Asian attentiveness to seasonal changes, which mirror the cycles of nature and life.

“Art depicting the seasons conveys a vital relationship between culture and the rhythms of nature,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, Menefee D. and Mary Louise Blackwell Director & CEO. “East Asians regard seasons as the expression of the vital energy, or qi, of the universe.”

The works of art in the exhibition are selected from the museum’s world-class collection of East Asian paintings, prints, and textiles, ranging from the 12th to the 19th century. Works by famous artists such as Zha Shibiao (1615-1698), Shitao (1642-1707), Ando Hiroshige (1797–1858) and a rare set of marble pictures are included. The exhibition also includes a captivating work of video art by Lee Lee-nam, a South Korean artist known for his reinterpretation of traditional artistic themes.

“In East Asian art representation of the seasons goes beyond literal depiction, becoming a meditation on the passing of time and our connection to nature,” said Colin Mackenzie, Senior Curator of Chinese Art.

“Seasons are depicted to eulogize both the transient and eternal beauty of nature, and above all, the images are used to convey human feeling and thought,” said Ling-en Lu, curator of the exhibition. “The images of seasons are rich in symbolic and poetic associations. Peach blossoms in the springtime represent a peaceful, well-ordered state. Autumn charms many artists and poets because seasonal beauty inspires fresh ideas; on the other hand, the season is also associated with lament, as the withering of nature reflects the decay of life.”

Many of the paintings and woodblock prints are rarely displayed. As a way to preserve the light-sensitive collection, two thirds of the displays will be rotated during the exhibition.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art 

The Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City is recognized nationally and internationally as one of America’s finest art museums. The Nelson-Atkins serves the community by providing access and insight into its renowned collection of more than 35,000 art objects and is best known for its Asian art, European and American paintings, photography, modern sculpture, and new American Indian and Egyptian galleries. Housing a major art research library and the Ford Learning Center, the Museum is a key educational resource for the region. The institution-wide transformation of the Nelson-Atkins has included the 165,000-square-foot Bloch Building expansion and renovation of the original 1933 Nelson-Atkins Building.

The Nelson-Atkins is located at 45th and Oak Streets, Kansas City, MO. Hours are Wednesday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursday/Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free to everyone. For museum information, phone 816.751.1ART (1278) or visit nelson-atkins.org/.