Visual Arts
The work of Yukio Iraha, Maggie Jiang and Miya Sukune are included in a juried group show with others now on view through April 6, 2018. Hours are M – F from 9am – 9pm and Sat., from 9am – 2pm. Phinney Center Gallery. 6532 Phinney Ave. N. 206-783-2244 or go to phinneycenter.org.

To celebrate Women’s History Month this event highlights the work done by female photographers using Leica Lens in a group show entitled “#PhotographForProgress – A Journey Through The Female Perspective.” The work of Sarah Lee, Sofia Lee, Anna Indalecio, Liz Loh-Taylor, Satomi Sugiyama and many others is included. On view through April 17, 2018 at the Leica Store in Bellevue. 221 Bellevue Square.

“Etsuko Ichikawa Vitrified” is the title of this new show by this Seattle artist. Since 2011, driven by the devastation caused by the nuclear incident at Fukushima, Ichikawa has explored the various impacts of human existence on our environment. In “Vitrified”, she uses photography, film, glass, sculptures and works on paper to express the fluidity of our life sustaining elements, and the urgency to protect them. Through April 25, 2018. Q&A exhibition walk-through with Gage Art Academy Executive Director Stefan Catalani on March 31 at noon. Winston Wachter Gallery at 203 Dexter Ave. N. in Seattle. Hours Mon. – Sat. from 10am – 5pm. 206-652-5855 or try gallery@winstonwachter.com.

Louise Kikuchi has work in a group show entitled “I Am Nature” with Laura Thorne, Joshua Thompson and Jenny Vorwaller. Show runs through April 28, 2018. At Plasteel Frames & Gallery at 3300 1st Ave. S. #400 in Seattle. Go to www.plasteelframes.com for details.

“blind film” is an installation by Sangjun Yoo employing a real-time composition of a kinetic system based on window blinds, controlled by digital interface. The installation embraces intimacy based on ruptures of absence, distance and space that reconstruct actual and virtual spaces including the viewer. On view through March 30, 2018. At Jack Straw located at 4261 Roosevelt Way NE.

Seattle-based artist Ko Kirk Yamahira deconstructs his paintings by painstakingly removing individual threads from the weave of the canvas, turning surface into form. Recent work offers a meditation on identity, duality and the relativity of perception. An exhibition of his work is at the Frye Art Museum On view through June 3, 2018. Curator Amanda Donnan gives a free talk and tour of the exhibition on March 24 at 2pm and again on May 20 at 2pm. 704 Terry Ave. 206-622-9250.

Davidson Galleries presents “Keitsuke

Yamamoto: Recent Lithographs” paired with “Friedensreich Hundertwasser: Regentag portfolio & selected works” on view through March 31, 2018. 313 Occidental Ave. S. in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. 206-624-7684 or go to davidsongalleries.com.

“Akio Takamori: Portraits and Sleepers”. Noted ceramic artist Akio Takamori did a Visiting Artist Residency at the Museum of Glass in August of 2014. During that time he created new work inspired by head-shaped Roman glass flasks. Each piece is embellished with enamel paints, creating a pictorial surface which plays with the transparency and opacity of the glass. In celebration of his extraordinary life and continually innovative career, the Museum presents a selective display which includes examples from his residency. 1801 Dock St. in Tacoma. 253-284-4750 or go to museumofglass.org. On view through May, 2018 .

Seattle artist Naoko Morisawa has an art exhibit entitled “Mosiac Collage Japonism 2018 Seattle” on view through March 30 in the Seattle Consulate-General of Japan’s Culture and Information Center. Open M – F from 9am – 4:30pm (closed for lunch from 11:30am – 1pm) 601 Union St #500.

“My Shadow Is A Word Writing Itself Across Time” by Gazelle Samizay is a video installation using poetry and sweeping landscape imagery. The artist draws connections between her experience as a Muslim American from Afghanistan and the wrongfully imprisoned Japanese Americans during WWII. On view now at 4 Culture’s E4C Media Screens in rotation with other videos. 101 Prefontaine Place South. 206-296-7580.

“The Time. The Place. Contemporary Art from the Collection” is the title of a museum-wide show of artworks that have entered the Henry Art Gallery’s contemporary collection during the last two decades. More than half the work here is being shown for the first time. Upper level galleries remain up until April 22. Lower level galleries will be on view until March 25, 2018. Alex Kang uses technology to explore the heartbreak of losing information in translation. His work is part of the “2018 University of Washington MFA+MDes Thesis Exhibition”, a group show of graduating art students set for May 24 – June 24, 2018. On the Seattle UW campus in the University District. 206-543-2280 or email info@henryart.org.

Seattle Art Museum has the following – “Talents and Beauties: Art of Women in Japan” through July 15, 2018. “Pure Amusements: Chinese Scholar Culture and Emulators”, an installation of Chinese works ranging from prints to sculpture and furnishings to ceramics. The focus is on objects created for, and enjoyed during the intentional practice of leisure. Ongoing. “Pacific Currents” & “Billabong Dreams” are two adjacent installations that feature the theme of water from New Guinea to Puget Sound through Oct. 21, 2018. “Peacock in the Desert: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India” opens Oct. 18, 2018 and remains on view through Jan. 21, 2019. 1300 First Ave. 206-654-3210 or try www.seattleartmuseum.org.

Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park hosts a series of winter programs for all ages that bring together art, the environment and the winter season. “Winter in the Parks” programs run through March, 2018 including Kids Saturdays (with artist Romson Bustillo) and Art Encounters featuring an artist-in-residence. For details, try seattleartmuseum.org/lights.

Seattle Art Museum presents a new series for SAM members entitled “Conversations With Curators” through June 2018. All lectures start at 7pm in the Auditorium with a Happy Hour starting at 6:30pm. Some highlights – June 20 brings Foong Ping, Curator of Chinese Art together with Xiaojin Wu, Curator of Japanese and Korean Art talking about “Transforming An Icon: Behind-The-Scenes At The Seattle Asian Art Museum.” You can buy tickets online at visitsam.org/conversations or call 206-654-3210 or stop by the Ticketing Desk at SAM.

As part of SAM & Gardner Center’s “Saturday University” & “Asia Talks” programs, check out the following. March 29 will be “Kashmir Shawls of the West” at 7pm at Bellevue Arts Museum with Rosemary Crill, retired Senior Curator for South Asia, Victoria & Albert Museum, London. UW Professor Stevan Harrell talks about “Textiles of Southwest China” on April 7 at 10am at Seattle Art Museum. “Supporting Textile Artists of Asia” takes place on April 12 at 7pm at Rainer Arts Center. A panel discussion on collecting practices and social business models that can sustain textile arts and artists. On April 14, at 10am, Susan Rodgers from the College of the Holy Cross will talk about “Textiles from Indonesia & Malaysia” at Seattle Art Museum. April 17 will address “Islamic Architecture of Deccan India” at 7pm at Seattle Art Museum with architectural historian George Mitchell. April 26 will feature the topic of “The Social Life of Ink Stones” with historian Dorothy Ko at Seattle Art Museum at 7pm. On April 28, Rachel Silberstein of the University of Washington will talk about “19th Century Chinese Fashion” at 10am at Seattle Art Museum. On May 9 at 7pm at Bellevue City Hall, Minh-Ha T. Pham of Pratt Institute will address the topic of “Race and Plagiarism on the Runway”. Pham returns on May 12 to Seattle Art Museum at 10am where she will talk about “From Factory to Fashion Blogs. April 21 brings “A Living Treasure of Japan’s Textile Arts” which has Shoji Yamamura giving a talk at 10am at SAM and two textile workshops. Yamamura is an innovator in Japanese ikat known as Kurume Kasuri. The first workshop is on April 21 from 2 – 4pm at SAM. The last one takes place on April 22 from 11am – 4pm at SAM. 1300 First Ave. To register for tickets call 206-654-3210 or go to visitsam.org/tickets. If you have questions, try visitsam.org/customerservice. Go to seattleartmuseum.org for details.

“Akio Takamori: Paintings and Sculpture” is on view from May 3 – June 30, 2018 and pairs his drawings with related ceramic work in sculpture. James Harris Gallery. 604 – 2nd Ave. in Seattle. 206-903-6220 or try mail@jamesharrisgallery.com.

Mixed media artists Cathy Woo and Jacqui Beck show together May 1 – June 2, 2018 at Michael Birawer Gallery. 1003 First Ave. in Pioneer Square. 206-624-7773.

STG presents “Re:definition-Celebrating 90 Years of Community, Culture and Space”, a group show in the lobby of the bar in the Paramount Theatre guest curated by Jean Alonzo Rodriguez, Tracy Rector and Tariqa Waters to help celebrate that cultural institution’s 90th birthday. Included is work by Junko Yamamoto, Kenji Hamai Stoll and others. 911 Pine in downtown Seattle. 206-682-1919.

Traver Gallery has a show for Jiro Yonezawa who crafts sculpture out of woven metal, thread, and bamboo that keeping the folk craft tradition contemporary. May 3 – June 2, 2018. Jun Kaneko is one of main figures in the contemporary ceramics movement. Based in Nebraska, the Japanese artist is known for his massive outdoor sculptures of ceramic heads. June 7 – 30, 2018. 110 Union St. #200 in Seattle. 206-587-6501 or go to travergallery.com.

Leena Joshi is part of a group of artists that will create works that citizens will be able to experience throughout the city of Seattle in an on-going series entitled “a lone” on view from May 3 – 31, 2018. Go to the Mount Analogue website to see a map of locations.

The work of Cathy Nakamura is included in a group show entitled “Vibrant Colors of Spring” on view through April 7, 2018 at Vermillion on Capitol Hill. 1508 – 11th Ave. 206-709-9797.

Jun Ahn likes heights. The South Korean photographer shoots from tall buildings and gets views that are eye-popping. Her show entitled “On the Verge” is on view through March 24 at Photographic Center Northwest at 900 12th Ave. 206-720-7222 or go to pcnw.org. Other events at PCNW worth checking out are these. Documentary photographer Beb Reynol will share his work done in Afghanistan and beyond on March 23, 2018 at 6:30pm.

“In the Shadow of Olympus” is a group show by Art Beasties, a collective of Japanese artists that spans continents and includes work by artists from Seattle, Kobe, Tokyo, New York and London. Collaborating over skype, for this show they create work addressing the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Includes work by local artists Junko Yamamoto, Ko lrkt (Ko Kirk Yamahira with a show currently at the Frye) and Paul Komada. The artists from the other cities include Yuki Nakamura (formerly from here but now in London), Maho Hikino, Tokio Kuniyoshi, Masaya Nakayama, Kakaeru Asai, Saki Kitamura and Mayu Kuroda. Through March 30, 2018. Regular hours are Th. – Sun from 11am – 4pm. SOIL is at 112 Third Ave. S. in Pioneer Square. 206-264-8061 or go to soilart.org. Funded in part with a 4Culture Project Grant.

Pacific Bonsai Musuem shakes up this Japanese tradition with LAB (Living Art of Bonsai), an experimental collaborative for bonsai innovation This project is a re-sequencing in the order of influence between the bonsai artist, ceramicist and stand maker. The project kicks off in 2018 and continues through 2020. A video trailer from a film about this new process can be viewed at http://www.bonsaimirai.com. For more information, go to http://www.pacificbonsaimuseum.org.

Kent Arts Commission has announced completion and installation of vinyl art wraps on five traffic signal control boxes in Kent. The five artists commissioned to design artwork included Naoko Morisawa, Vikram Madan, Jean Bradbury, Jill Erickson and Fin’es Scott. Go to kentwa.gov for details.

Asian Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma presents a show of artwork by Darishma Alphonse of Olympia. The work focuses on spiritual aspects of the mind. On view through April with an opening reception on april 6 from 4 – 5pm. 4851 South Tacoma Way. 253-383-3900.

“Craftsmanship And Wit – Modern Japanese Prints from the Carol and Seymour Haber Collection” is a group show curated by Jeannie Kenmotsu – Japan Foundation Assistant Curator for Japanese Art. Includes work by Munakata, Hamaguchi, Ida and Kurosaki. On view through April 1, 2018 at Portland Art Museum. 1219 S.W. Park Ave. 503-226-2811 or try info@pam.org.

Internationally known ceramic artist and former UW Professor Patti Warashina has a show of new work set for the Mesa Contemporary Arts Center April 13 – August 5, 2018. She will do a 2 day workshop May 12 – 13 and give a talk about her work on Sat., May 12 at 6pm. One East Main St. in Mesa, Arizona. 480-644-6560 or go to boxoffice@mesaartscenter.com.

“Searching for Home” is a site-specific installation by Humaira Abid featuring personal narratives, stories and portraits of refugees in the Northwest woven into socio-cultural themes of immigration, women and families. It is her first solo exhibition in the U.S. In her work, she tackles issues of culture, gender and relationships both in her Pakistani homeland and her adopted U.S. home. Now through March 25, 2018. 510 Bellevue Way N.E. Closed Mon. & Tues. Regular hours are Wed. – Sun. 11am – 5pm. Free First Fridays from 11am – 8pm. 425-519-0770.

“My Shame” by Humaira Abid examines the stigma that women feel over natural, social and cultural issues. Ends March 31 with a closing reception with the artist. ArtXchange Gallery at 512 1st Ave. S. 206-839-0377 or go to artxchange.org.

KOBO at Higo at 604 South Jackson features many small arts & crafts/textile shows and activities inspired by Asia or work by Asian American artists. There is another branch of KOBO on Capitol Hill at 814 E. Roy St. 206-726-0704.

New and recent shows /activities at the Wing include the following – “A Dragon Lives Here”, part 4 of the ongoing Bruce Lee exhibition series has just opened. It has a special “members only” preview on March 9, 2018 and opens to the general public on March 10. This concluding part hones in on Bruce Lee’s Seattle roots and how this region played a key role in shaping Lee and his groundbreaking career. A reminder that Bruce Lee tours reopen on March 10, 2018. “Visions of Pacifika: Light from Another World” on view now through Nov. 11 2018 looks at Pacific Islander artists who incorporate tradition while looking towards the future. “Costumed Spectacle: Cantonese Opera from the So Family Collection shows off the intricately embroidered costumes that belonged to a Cantonese opera singer who performed in Hong Kong and later in Seattle. Through July 1, 2018. “What’s In Your Cup? – Community Brewed Culture” is a new exhibit honoring the beverages that have given life to communities – from farmers and families who nurture the raw materials to friends & kin who bond over shared drinks. Hear histories of commerce, colonization and survival. Share tales from a Japanese family who brewed sake from Fukushima to Seattle, the Seko’s who ran the beloved Bush Garden, Carmel Laurino who pioneered the value of Filipino coffee, Lydia Lin who cultivated tea appreciation through her Seattle Best Tea and Koichi Kitazawa, a brew master at Starbucks. On view through Sept. 16, 2018. 206-623-5124×127 or email msu@wingluke.org for details. “Teardrops that Wound: The Absurdity of War” is a group show that looks at how art can deflate war’s destructive weight by exposing its absurdity. Contemporary Asian Pacific American artists pull back the curtain and invite visitors to examine war from another angle. Curated by SuJ’n Chon. Ends May 20, 2018. “Year of Remembrance: Glimpses of a Forever Foreigner” with poems by Lawrence Matsuda and art by Roger Shimomura is a small but potently meaningful show now extended until April 23, 2018 . Toddler Story Time set for Thursdays at 11am always has events centered around a kid’s book and an art activity afterwards. A new addition to The Wing’s daily Historic Hotel Tour is “APT 507” which is the story of Au Shee, one Chinese immigrant woman who helped build Seattle’s Chinatown. Her living room is interactive with objects meant to be felt, opened and experienced. The Museum is located at 719 South King St. (206) 623-5124 or visit www.wingluke.org. Closed Mondays. Tuesday – Sunday from 10am – 5pm. First Thursday of each month is free from 10am – 8pm. Third Saturday of each month is free from 10am – 8pm.

Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park is now closed for what is projected to be a renovation and extension that will take several years.

“Familiar Faces & New Voices: Surveying Northwest Art” opens May 13, 2017 and stays on view through the summer of 2019. This group show is a chronological walk through of Northwest art history, illustrated with the works of noted artists from each time period as well as lesser-known but just as important figures. Different works will be displayed throughout the run of this show. Includes the work of Patti Warashina, Roger Shimomura, Joseph Park, Alan Lau (full disclosure, that’s me) and many othersTacoma Art Museum at 1701 Pacific Ave. 253-272-4258 or email info@TacomaArtMuseum.org or go to www.TacomaArtMuseum.org.

Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center presents the following – “Oregon Nikkei: Reflections of an American Community – Japanese American Life in Oregon” is an ongoing exhibit. Beginning this year, visitors can see artifacts of the collection up close as the stacks will be open to see as the staff does filing. Opening Feb. 25 and on view through April 8, 2018 a show entitled “Baseball and Bowling: Sports Memorabilia from Minidoka and Post WWII Portland”. April 12 – June 10, 2018 brings a show entitled “Arts and Crafts Made in the Japanese American Incarceration Camps”. June 14 – August 5, 2018 will be a show entitled “A Soldier’s Story: The Photo Album of Yukimori Okimoto Who Served During WWII with the 522nd Field Artillery, Liberators of the Subcamps of Dachau.”July 14 – August 5, 2018 brings a show entitled “Oshu Nippo: Artifacts from Portland’s Japanese Language Newspaper – 1909 – 1951”. 121 NW Second Ave. in Portland.503-224-1458 or go to www.oregonnikkeir.org.

Portland Japanese Garden collaborates with architect Kengo Kuma on the launch of a major expansion opening April 2, 2017. The Cultural Village expansion provides additional space and will enhance its ability to immerse visitors in traditional Japanese arts and culture. Three new Japanese gardens will be added as part of this. The garden will host major art exhibitions this year with related lectures, demonstrations and activities. Also in development is the International Institute for Japanese Garden Arts & Culture which will offer classes in traditional garden arts such as tea ceremony and calligraphy. Recently Suminori Awata, a stone mason from Japanese came to help direct constriction of a stone wall. Granite was gathered from a rock quarry in Pendleton, Oregon and moved to Portland for placement. This opens to the public in 2018. On view now through April 1, 2018 is “HANAKAGO – The Art Of Bamboo And Flowers”, exquisite bamboo vessels brought to life by the ikebana arrangements of a Kyoto master, Hayakawa Shokosai V who is a Living National Treasure. For more information, go to japanesegarden.com.

“The Coldest Night” is Srijon Chowdhury’s second show at Upfor Gallery on view Feb. 28 – March 31, 2018. It explores how our understanding of art spaces and artworks emerges slowly, sometimes frustratingly. 929 NW Flanders St. in Portland. 503-227-5111 or try upforgallery.com.

“Ruffle Pit” is an exhibit by Junko IIjima who teaches at Clackamas Community College. Her work explores femininity, comfort and protection. It uses fabric and timber to create an environment filled with hand-sewn pink ruffles. Through March 23, 2018 at Clackamas Community College Niemeyer Center in Oregon City, Oregon. 503-594-6000 or go to www.clackamas.edu.

“Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America” chronicles a history of American basketry from its origins in Native American, immigrant, and slave communities to its presence within the contemporary fine art world. On view through May 6, 2018. Whatcom Museum’s Lightcatcher Building in Bellingham, WA. Info@whatcommuseum.org or go to www.whatcommuseum.org.

Allied Arts of Whatcom County presents “Tore Ofteness, Frank Frazee and Various Local Artists: Whatcom READS Art Challenge & Exhibit” through March 31, 2018. This group show project presented local artists the challenge or reading Sri-Lankan American writer Sunil Yapa’s “Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist”, a novel about the WTO demonstrations in Seattle and then creating a piece of visual art inspired by it. 1418 Cornwall Ave. in Bellingham, WA. 360-676-8548 or go to alliedarts.org.

On December 7, 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, launching America into war. In Canada, this action resulted in the confiscation of nearly 1,200 Japanese-Canadian owned fishing boats by Canadian officials on the British Columbia coast, which were eventually sold off to canneries and other non-Japanese fishermen. The exhibition entitled “The Lost Fleet” looks at the world of Japanese Canadian fishermen in BC and how deep-seated racism played a major part in the seizure, and sale, of Japanese Canadian property and the internment of an entire people. Curator Duncan MacLeod states that “the history of Japanese Canadian fishermen is inextricably linked to the history of Vancouver. The city was a gateway in the Pacific for all immigrants looking to forge a brighter future for themselves.” The exhibition will showcase a series of photographs as well as several models of Japanese Canadian built fishing vessels in its collection, made by model shipbuilder, Doug Allen. These models replicate some of the fishing boats seized during the war that have since been lost to history. On view through March 25, 2018. Vancouver Maritime Museum at 1905 Ogden Avenue in Vanier Park in Vancouver, BC Canada. Open Tues. – Sat. from 10am – 5pm and Sundays from noon – 5pm. Also open late on Thursday nights until 8pm. Go to https://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com/exhibit/lost-fleet-exhibition for more details.

Vancouver Art Gallery – “Emptiness: Emily Carr and Lui Shou Kwan” pairs Emily Carr’s forest paintings and charcoal drawings with the founder of the New Art Movement in Hong Kong. Kwan’s early Hong Kong landscapes and zen paintings will be placed in dialogue with Carr’s Northwest landscapes. On view through April 8, 2018. Also featured, an offsite installation by New Delhi-based artist Asim Waqif which combines architecture with a strong contextual reference. Look for the current retrospective on the work of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami at Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago entitled “The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg” to make its West Coast debut through May 6, 2018 (advance tickets for this show at murakami.vanartgallery.bc.ca). Opening March 3 and on view through June 17, 2018 is “Bombhead”. This is a thematic exhibition by guest curator John O’Brian that explores the emergence and impact of the Nuclear Age as represented by artists and their art. Brings together drawings, paintings, prints, sculpture, photographs, film and video that deal with this often dark subject matter. Includes work by Robert Rauschenberg, Wang Du, Adolph Gottlieb, Roy Kiyooka, Nancy Spero, Ishiuchi Miyako, Andrea Pinheiro, David Hockney and many others. Vancouver Art Gallery is at 750 Hornby St. in Vancouver, BC Canada. 604-662-4719.

Vancouver’s Poly Culture Art Center presents a “Zisha Teapot Exhibition” through May 31, 2018. Tea wares from this area in China have been prized as tea vessels for centuries. #100-905 West Pender St. 604-564-5766 or try polyculture.us/.

“The Ceramic Art of Thomas Kakinuma” is the first substantial retrospective for this ceramic artist known for his figurative sculpture and animal figures. On view through March 10, 2018. West Vancouver Museum at 680 – 17th st. in West Vancouver,Canada. 604-925-7295 or try westvancouvermuseum.ca.

Vancouver Fashion Week held in mid-March featured an unconventional menswear collection from Who is ATK from Taiwan and a soft, colorful collection of womenswear from Qiong Xin Kou, a Chinese designer based in New York. For details, go to www.vanfashionweek.com.

Art Beatus in Vancouver, BC present “Ebb and Flow” by Tony Yin Tak Chu. This solo exhibition by the Vancouver-based artist was inspired by the Chinese pictogram for water. Mixed media paintings and an installation. On view through April 20, 2018. 108-808 Nelson St. in Vancouver, BC. 604-688-2633 or go to www.artbeatus.com. Closed weekends and holidays.

Nikkei National Museum presents “Beta Vulgaris: The Sugar Beet Project”. This exhibit by Kelty Miyoshi McKinnon with Keri Latimer explores the relationship between the material of sugar and Japanese Canadian history in Western Canada (especially, BC and Alberta). During WWII, the labor shortage and other factors resulted in the BC Securities Commission Council organizing “The Sugar Beet Projects”. As part of the internment, Japanese Canadian families were allowed to remain together only if they agreed to move to the prairies or Ontario to work the sugar beet fields. The Museum will be transformed into a Japanese dry garden, punctuated by sculptural boulders made of molten, burnt and sculpted sugar. A wooden boardwalk will cover this landscape resembling the furrows of sugar beet fields. The video images of labor will be projected over sugared surfaces There will be a Wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) making workshop on April 7 from 2 – 4pm. The exhibit ends May 27, 2018. Kayla Isomura’s “The Suitcase Project” opens in June and will be on view through Sept. 2018.The museum has numerous online exhibits as well as offsite exhibits. Check their website for details. The Nikkei National Museum is at 6688 Southoaks Crescent in Burnaby. 604-777-7000 or go to nikkeiplace.org.

The Kamloops Art Gallery presents “Re Present: Photography from South Asia”. This landmark exhibition is the first of its kind in Western Canada to present a diverse range of the varied histories of photographic media from the Indian subcontinent. Includes work by Raja Deen Deyal, Linneaus Tripe, the Rags Media Collective and Pamela Singh. On view through March 31, 2018.101-465 Victoria St. in Kamloops, Canada. 250-377-2400 or try kag.bc.ca.

The Surrey Art Gallery in Surrey, Canada. On view through March 25, 2018 is a group show entitled “Many Visions, Many Versions: Art from Indigenous Communities in India” with close to 90 paintings from 24 artists showcasing works from the Gond and Warli communities of central India, the Mithila region of Bihar and the narrative scroll painters of West Bengal. 13750 88th Ave. (at King George Blvd.). 604-501-5566 or try surrey.ca/artgallery. Closed Mon. & holidays.

The “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads” series by Ai Weiwei is a reinterpretation of the twelve bronze animal heads representing the traditional Chinese zodiac that once adorned the famed fountain-clock of the Old Summer Palace outside Beijing. On view in the North Courtyard through June 24, 2018. “Long Nineteenth Century in Japanese Woodblock Prints” features more than fifty works from the collection of Dr. Lee and Mary Jean Michels. Through July 1, 2018. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon in Eugene. 1430 Johnson Lane. 541-346-3027.

Asian Art Museum, San Francisco has the following – “When Pictures Speak – The Written Word in Japanese Art” on view through August 19, 2018. “Philippine Art: Collecting Art, Collecting Memories” is on view through March 11, 2018. Expressive indigenous carving, jewelry, textiles, Christian devotional statues, postwar genre and landscape paintings and contemporary works of this island nation fill this show. On going are two installations. In front of the museum is “Dragon Fortune” by Taiwanese artist Hung Yi which meshes together Taiwanese folk art, Japanese textile design and pop art kids cartoons. In the lobby is “Collected Letters” by Liu Jianhua, a cutting edge installation of porcelain letters and fragments of Chinese characters suspended in mid-air. 200 Larkin St. 415-581-3500.

“Antidotal” is a new installation by Bay Area artist Masako Takahashi on view from March 24 – May 1, 2018 at the C.V. Starr East Asian Library on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley. It is in two parts. Colorful wool pompoms will be suspended from the ceiling throughout the library with hopes that their confident colors and soft comforting textures will neutralize the toxic stresses of contemporary life. Also her “Hair Text” pieces which feature the artist’s own hair embroidered into silk in an enigmatic text will be found displayed in cases and along the walls of the first floor. Opening reception will be on March 24, 2018 from 3 – 5pm. 510-642-2556 or eal@library.berkely.edu.

The De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park has the following – “Beyond the Surface: World-wide Embroidery Traditions” on view through March 25, 2018. “The Maori Portraits: Gottfiried Lindaver’s New Zealand” is on view through April 1, 2018. Thirty-one compelling historic portraits of men and women of esteem and rank at a time of great political, cultural and social change and complex intercultural exchange. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr. 415-750-3600.

The Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive has the following shows – “Theresa Hak Kyung Cha: Avant Dictee” through April 22, 2018. View artworks and ephemera from the Cha archive in dialogue with her most famous work, the late artist’s book entitled “Dictee”. “Cal Conversations: Dreaming the Lost Ming” remains on view through May 13, 201`8. This show was created in collaboration with a UC Berkeley Chinese art history class. Here you can see the cataclysmic end of the Ming dynasty as evidenced by paintings and literature of China’s 17th century. “Buddhist Realms” is a collection of exquisite examples of Buddhist art from the Himalayan region. On view through April 22, 2018. 2155 Center St. in Berkeley, CA. 510-642-0808 or go to bampfa@berkeley.edu.

The San Jose Museum of Art presents a show entitled “The Propeller Group” set through March 25, 2018. This art collective based in Vietnam and L.A. takes on ambitious projects connected to Vietnam’s history and its paradoxical present through all media including film. 101 South Market. 408-271-6840.

“For-Site”, the non-profit art organization that helped set up and design Ai Weiwei’s installation on Alcatraz Island when he was under house arrest in China is back with another thought-provoking project. Entitled “Sanctuary”, it investigates the idea of a safe haven both physical and psychological. In this era of frenzied global migration and rising nationalism, the right to a safe haven is under threat. For “Sanctuary”, 36 artists from 21 different countries helped design contemporary rugs reflecting their idea of a sanctuary, offering visitors a multiplicity of perspectives on the basic need for refuge, protection and sacred ground. The rugs were actualized in Lahore, Pakistan by skilled artisans. Includes work by Mona Hatoum, Ai Weiwei and many others. On view through March 11, 2018 at the Fort Mason Chapel in San Francisco. Free. Go to for-site.org for details.

LACMA or Los Angeles County Museum of Art has a show on Chinese master brush painter Wu Bin entitled “Wu Bin: Ten Views of a Lingbi Stone” through June 24, 2018. Also on view is “Unexpected Light: Works by Young ll Ahn, a contemporary Korean artist through June 2018. 5905 Wilshire Blvd. 323-857-6010.

The Broad has had a Yayoi Kusama infinity room entitled “The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away” in their permanent collection for some time. Now they have added a second one entitled “Longing For Eternity” to their collection. Visitors can see it on view beginning March 17, 2018. For tickets, go to ticketing@thebroad.org.

The Japanese American National Museum has the following show –A few years ago, a controversy brewed when a collection of artworks and artifacts from Japanese American internment camps were about to go on the auction block. A group of Japanese American activists did not want to see pieces of their own cultural history to be sold piecemeal to private collectors. Luckily through their intervention, the collection was instead given to the Japanese American National Museum. The original collector of these items was Allen Eaton who was researching a book later published as “Beauty Behind Barbed Wire: The Arts of the Japanese in Our War Relocation Camps.” Many of these objects were given to

Eaton by detainees with the expectation that they would be used for educational purposes. Now that wish is fulfilled. An exhibition entitled “Contested Histories: Art and Artifacts from the Allen Hendershott Collection” is now on view at the Hirasaki National Resource Center (located within the confines of JANM). It includes more than 450 paintings, photographs, sculptures, pieces of jewelry and other handmade objects. On view through April 8, 2018 after which the exhibit will go on tour to other-as-yet-undisclosed locations. 100 N. Central Ave. in Los Angeles. 213-625-0414 or go to http://www.janm.org.

The USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena is one of the few U.S. institutions dedicated to the arts and culture of Asia and the Pacific Islands. It closed its 1924 building for more than a year for a seismic retrofit and a makeover of its galleries. The museum has now re-opened to the public with a new exhibition entitled “Winds from Fusang: Mexico and China in the Twentieth Century” which explores the influence of visiting Mexican artists on the development of art in China. Through June 10, 2018. 46 N. Los Robles Ave. 626-449-2742 or email info@pam.usc.edu.

“Chiura Obata: An American Modern” is the first retrospective of this noted Bay area artist whose work reflected the glories of the American landscape from the Grand Canyon to Yosemite. His influence could also be felt at UC Berkeley where he had a distinguished teaching career. He also helped found art schools in internment camps during WWII. On view at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art through April 29, 2018. Curated by ShiPu Wang with a catalogue. 805-893-2951. After Santa Barbara, the exhibition travels to the following sites. May 25 – Sept. 2, 2018 at Utah Museum of Fine Arts in Salt Lake City. Jan. 18 – March 10, 2019 at Okayama Prefecture Museum of Art in Okayama, Japan (the artist’s hometown), June 23 – Sept. 29, 2019 at Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA.

Artist Wendy Maruyama explores the impact of Executive Order 9066 that put West Coast American citizens of Japanese ancestry into internment camps during WWII with a powerful installation “E.O. 9066” that uses replicas of ID tags used by internees made into sculptural bundles. On view through May 27, 2018 at Riverside Art Museum in Riverside, CA. 3425 Mission Inn Ave. 951-684-7111. Comes with a full program of activities and Mark Izu and Brenda Wong Aoki as artist-in-residence. Email info@riversideartmuseum.org for full details.

“The Disasters of Peace: Social Discontent in the Manga of Tsuge Tadao and Katsumata Susumu” looks at how this art form in the late 20th century explored the dark chapters of modern history and ethically complex social issues. Through April 15, 2018. Honolulu Museum of Art at 900 Beretania. Go to honolulumuseum.org for details.

Denver Art Museum is planning a major exhibition from their collection entitled “Linking Asia: Art, Trade, and Devotion” which will look at cross-regional and cross-cultural influences in Asian art. The works come from over 20 countries and spans 2,000 years. The show remains on view through April 1, 2018. “Eyes On” is a show of work by contemporary Chinese artist Xiaoze Xie now on view through July 8, 2018. The show is the first in a series of exhibitions featuring contemporary artists that the museum feels should have fuller exposure in the region. Xie has had a lifelong passion for books. In this show he has created still-life paintings of books, videos and installations based on banned and forbidden books in China. In the Logan Gallery and FuseBox in the Hamilton Building’s fourth floor. 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway in Denver, CO. Call 720-865-5000 or go to www.denverartmuseum.org.

The Freer/Sackler Gallery on the Smithsonian Mall shows you how religion and art mix in “Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice Across Asia through Nov. 29, 2020. 202-633-1000 or go to FreerSackler.si.edu for details.

The National Museum of Women In The Arts presents the printed work of Bay Area-based Chinese-born painter Hung Liu whose portraits suggest sculptural possibilities. Through July 8, 2018 in Washington DC. 202-783-5000.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has the following – “Diamond Mountains: Travel and Nostalgia in Korean Art” through May 20, 2018. “The Poetry of Nature: Edo Paintings from the Fishbein-Bender Collection” through Jan. 21, 2019. “Celebrating the Year of the Dog” through July 4, 2018. Spirited Creatures: Animal Representations in Chinese Silk and Lacquer” through July 22, 2018. “A Passion for Jade: Heber Bishop and His Collection” through July 22, 2018. “Crowns of the Vajra Masters: Ritual Art of Nepal” through Dec.16, 2018. “Japanese Arms and Armor from the Collection of Etsuko and John Morris” through Jan. 6, 2019. “Streams and Mountains Without End: Landscape Traditions of China” through Jan. 6, 2019.1000 Fifth Ave. New York, New York. Go to metmuseum.org for details.

Artist/sculptor Huma Bhabha grew up in Karachi, Pakistan but has lived in the US for almost 30 years. She lives with her artist husband in the Hudson Valley. She will be the next artist to be featured in the popular roof-installation series at the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York. She’ll be bringing a big ax, literally. The installation entitled “We Come in Peace” will be comprised of two alien figures rough-cut chopped with an ax out of a block of cork. She likes to work with unwieldy materials like cork, styrofoam and burned wood. The installation at the Met is on view from April 17 – Oct. 28, 2018. She has a solo show in Sept. at Contemporary Austin, a piece at the 57th Carniege International in Pittsburgh and a retrospective at ICA Boston in March of 2019. The Met is at 1000 Fifth Ave. in New York City. Go to metmuseum.org for details.

The Rubin Museum of Art has the following shows.”Chitra Ganesh” through Nov. 4, 2018. “Sacred Spaces” through Oct. 15, 2018. “The Second Buddha” through Jan. 7, 2019. “Masterworks of Himalayan Art” through March 26, 2018. “Gateway to Himalayan Art” through July 16, 20198. “A Guided Tour of Hell” runs from April 20 – August 12, 2018. After collapsing in a hospital following surgery, longtime Buddhist teacher Sam Bercholz felt himself being pulled into an underworld of dramatic suffering. Telling his story to Tibetan American artist Pema Namdol Thaye, the artist drew on his training in traditional Tibetan arts as well as his childhood obcession with graphic novels to transform these visions into vibrant acrylic paintings of sufferers in hell. 150 W. 17th St. New York, New York. 212-620-5000×344 or go to rubinmuseum.org.

A look back and a reappraisal of the Vietnam War and American’s involvement in that conflict this year has renewed interest what with a PBS series and numerous books coming out. The New-York Historical Society Museum & Library joins in with their exhibition entitled “Vietnam War – 1945-1975” which is on view through April 22, 2018. 170 Central Park West. Go to nyhistory.org for details.

The Asia Society Museum in New York presents the following – “In Focus: An Assembly of Gods” is on view through March 25, 2018. “Masterpieces From the Asia Society Museum Collection” on view through March 25, 2018. Opening Feb. 27 and remaining on view through May 20, 2018 is “Unknown Tibet: The Tucci Expedition and Buddhist Painting” which presents recently restored paintings collected by Guiseppe Tucci during his expeditions to Tibet and now in the collection of the MNAO Rome. 725 Park Ave. New York City, New York. 212-327-9721 or go to www.asiasociety.org for more details.

“A Giant Leap – The Transformation of Hasegawa Tohaku” is a special exhibition that focuses on the life and legacy of one of 16th century Japan’s leading artistic innovators. It traces the artist’s evolution from a provincial painter of Buddhist subjects to a master favored by shogun, samurai and cultural luminaries. Viewers will see vibrantly painted screens, scrolls and Important Cultural Properties. Shown in two parts. First rotation runs from March 9 – April 8. Second rotation from April 12 – May 5. At The Japan Society. 333 E. 47th St. 212-832-1155 or go to japansociety.org.

“A Colossal World: Japanese Artists And New York, 1950 – Present” is on view through April 14, 2018 at White Box Gallery curated by Kyoko Sato. This group exhibition features video, sculpture, murals, installation and two-d work by over 50 Japanese artists who emigrated to New York during the formative stages of their careers. Includes work by Yoko Ono, Shigeko Kubota, Ay-O, Shunsaku Arakawa, Ushio Shinohara, Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami and many others. 329 Broome St. Info@whiteboxny.org or call 212-714-2347.

“We The People – An International Group Exhibition of Contemporary Art Toward Ending the Korean War” includes the work of Kyungbo Han, Song Gwang Hong, Young Jun Hwang, Jihoe Koo, Suh Youngsun, Emmanuel, Faure, Alicia Grulion, Nina Kuo, Gregory Sholette, Hank Willis Thomas and others. On view at Ozaneaux Art Space until May 24, 2018. 515 W. 20th St. 4E in New York City, New York.

The Cleveland Museum of Art has the following –

The Yayoi Kusama “Infinity Mirrors” show continues its tour with a stop here July 7, 2018 – Sept. 30, 2018. 11150 East Blvd. 216-421-7350.

Museum of Fine Arts Boston has the following – “Takashi Murakami: Lineage of Eccentrics – A collection with Nobuo Tsuji and MFA, Boston” is on view through April 1, 2018. The popular Japanese artist Murakami whose work is influenced by popular culture and manga also has roots in Japanese eccentric traditional art. Noted Japanese art historian Nobuo Tsuji looks at pieces in the MFA collection of Japanese art for some examples of traditional art that inspired some of Murakami’s present work. “Black And White – Japanese Modern Art” is a show centered around a large scale calligraphy piece by Inoue Yuichi. This exhibition showcases a selection of avant-garde works in the monochrome aesthetic. On view through June 3, 2018. 9300 Avenue of the Arts. 465 Huntington Ave. Go to mfa.org or call 617-267-9300.

“Cao Jun: Hymns to Nature” is the renowned Chinese artist’s first exhibition in the United States. This exhibition consists of watercolor/mixed media paintings, calligraphy, porcelain and digital media. It examines the deep roots of Jun’s art in the experience of nature and how he performs his role within it. It also illuminates his noel responses to earlier paintings by Chinese masters and encourages views to ponder a dynamic dialogue between Chinese art of the past and the present. On view through June 3, 2018 at Boston College’s McMullen Museum. 2101 Commonwealth Ave. in Boston. 617-552-8587 or go to www.bc.edu/artmuseum.

The Guggenheim presents a museum-wide, thematically organized survey of the work of Vietnamese-born Danish artist Danh Vo. It includes a focus on the dreamy collective self-image of the U.S. Through May 9, 2018. Go to guggenheim.org for details.

The Art Institute of Chicago presents the following. “Mirroring China’s Past: Emperors and Their Bronzes” on view through May 13, 2018. Xu Longsen: Light of Heaven” is an installation specifically created for this museum and features a set of painted pillars with a number of monumental landscape paintings. Through June 24, 2018.Wang Dongling’s installation of five plexi panels of calligraphic paintings, color-infused abstractions of classic Chinese poems on view through May 13, 2018. “The Arranged Flower: Ikebana and Flora in Japanese Prints” through April 8, 2018. “The Wandering Landscape: Chinese Topographical Paintings of the 16th Through 19th Century” on view until April 8, 2018. “Modern Japanese Prints” includes the portrait prints of Onchi Koshino and Saito Kiyoshi from April 14 – July 1, 2018. “Rhythm of the Weave” includes a wide range of textiles from around the world from the 14th century to the 20th century on view from May 18 – Oct. 21, 2018. 111 South Michigan Ave. 312-443-3600.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has announced they will begin the first comprehensive renovation and re-installation of its galleries in Chinese art in many decades. Beginning April 11, 2018, six galleries in the Asian Art wing will be closed for ten months, their installation re-imagined – and then re-open to the public in early 2019. The re-installation plan will be led by Dr. Hiromi Kinoshita, Associate Curator of Chinese Art.

“Hard Bodies – Contemporary Japanese Lacquer Sculpture” on view through June 24, 2018 and curated by Andres Marks. Minneapolis Institute of Art. For centuries, the making of lacquer ware has served a utilitarian and decorative function. But now with modern advances in technology, contemporary artists are pushing into new frontiers. This show is a window into the future of abstract sculpture and installation using the sheen of lacquer as another texture. 2400 Third Ave. S. Call toll free at 888-642-2787

The Dallas Museum of Art has the following – “The Keir Collection of Islamic Art Gallery is on view through April 26, 2020. “Yayoi Kusama: All the Eternal Love I have for the Pumpkins” installation is on view through Feb. 25, 2018. “Asian Textiles: Art Along the Silk Road” stays on view until Dec. 9, 2018. 1717 N. Harwood in Dallas, TX. 214-992-1200.

The oil paintings of Kumagai Morikazu (1880 – 1977) are universally loved in Japan. The paintings have a flatness and animal subject matter that many ascribe to the Japanese woodcut tradition but his thick oil paint texture and muted tones have a Nihon-ga feel that touch the hearts of people with their gentle charm. Coinciding with the fortieth anniversary of his death, this retrospective covers his entire career with some two hundred works. Through March 21, 2018. National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

Noted Japanese modern art collector Toshio Hara, head of the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo curates his first show at the institution that bears his name. Part II of “My Favorites: Toshio Hara selects from the Permanent Collection” will consist of the modern Japanese artists in his collection including work by Nobuyoshi Araki, Yasumasa Morimura, Yoshiyomo Nara and Miwa Yanagi. Go to www.haramuseum.or.jp for details.

“The 120th Anniversary of the Birth of Seiji Togo: A Retrospective of Togo’s Depiction of Women” is on view through April 15, 2018 and looks at this Japanese painter who spent years in Europe and the influences he brought back to Japan. Abeno Harukas Art Museum in Osaka, Japan. Go to www.aham.jp.

“A View of Prints: The Trajectory of the Gendai Hanga Center. Through March 25, 2018. This center was established in 1974 to exhibit and promote contemporary Japanese art prints. This exhibition highlights the impact the center had on the world and explores the possibilities of Japanese woodblock printing from a modern and contemporary perspective. The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama. Go to www.pref.spec.ed.jp/momas.

“The 40th Memorial of Shoji Hamada: From Tamesaburo Yamamoto Collection” on view until April 8, 2018. Yamamoto made most of his money from beer but he loved collecting folk art, expecially the pottery of his good friend Shoji Hamada. Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art outside of Kyoto. 075-957-3123 or go to http://www.asahibeer-oyamazaki.com/english/.

“Sarugaku Maska: Shaping the Culture of Noh” is a show of 350 traditional performance masks, 80 of which are designated “Important Cultural Properties”. Through June 3, 2018. Miho Museum in Shiga. Go to www.miho.or.jp/en for details.

“Nara’s Traditional Crafts: Akahadayaki Pottery, Nara Itto-bori Carving And Nara Lacquerware” through March 25, 2018. Nara Prefecture is still home to many aspects of Japanese traditional culture. This exhibition outlines historical and contemporary interpretations of traditional crafts. Nara Prefectural Museum of Art.

“Tomb Dynasty Figures of Hu People: Portraying the Multicultural Vigor on the Silk Road” is on view through March 25, 2018 at The Museum of Oriental Ceramics in Osaka.

A retrospective of controversial Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki entitled “Nobuyoshi Araki – I, Photography” is on view through March 25, 2018 at Marugame Genichiro Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art in Marugame, Kagawa Japan.

The Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2018 goes to Balkrishna Doshi, the first Indian to receive this award. His mentor was Le Corbusier and he also worked with Louis Kahn. In the jury citation, it says “With an understanding and appreciation of the deep traditions of India’s architecture, he united prefabrication and local craft and developed a vocabulary in harmony with the history, culture, local traditions and the changing times of his home country, India.” He undertook his first project for low-income housing in the 1950s. Doshi stated in 1954, “It seems I should take an oath and remember it for my lifetime. To provide the lowest class with the proper dwelling.” He would go on to fulfill that promise, creating many projects for public administrations and utilities, educational and cultural institutes and residences for private citizens.

Key Collector Comics kicks off their first comic cover art gallery free mobile app showcasing the work of Hong Kong-based comic book artist Stanley “Artgerm” Lau. 120 of Artgerm’s covers as well as an additional 7,500 highly collectible comics known as “keys” will be available for viewing. This app is available for a limited time. Signed copies of Artgerm’s sketchbook will be given away until March 15, 2018. Stanley “Artgerm” Lau is an illustrator, designer, concept artist, creative director and co-founder of Imaginary Friends Studios – a world acclaimed digital art studio that produces high quality artworks for the likes of Capcom, DC Comics, Marvel Comics and other giants in the comics entertainment and gaming industry. For more information, go to http://keycollectorcomics.com/.

The Peabody Essex Museum is home to the most important collection of modern-era Indian art from colonial times to the present outside of India. This was established with the acquisition of the Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection in 2001. To solidify that, the museum recently named Siddhartha V. Shah as their Curator of Indian and South Asian Art. Shah comes from Columbia University.

Looking for some art workshops to try out as summer approaches? Below are some ideas –

Scott McCall and Mari Shibuya teach “Portfolio Intensive” for teenagers (ages 15 – 18) July 16 – August 17, 2018 at Gage Academy of Art. You’ll learn observational drawing and painting by working from casts, live models and still life set-ups. 1501 – 10th Ave. E. Ste. #101 in Seattle. Go to gageacademy.org/summer-kids for details.

Pratt Fine Arts Center has a full schedule of classes and events from March – May 21018. Learn from working professionals like Romson Regarde Bustillo, Lisa Hasegawa and Mark Takamichi Miller. Bustillo teaches a “Collage Crash Course” and “Mixed Media Collograph.” Haegawa teaches “Beginning Letterpress.” Miller is definitely a jack-of-all-trades as he will be busy teaching workshops in “Figure Proportion: the Intuitive Approach”, Liquid Portraiture Painting”, “Oil Mediums and Effects”, “Mysteries of Acrylic”, “Expressive figure Drawing” and “Beginning Experimental Painting.” 1902 Main St. in Seattle. 206-328-2200. Go to www.pratt.org to register and get full class descriptions online.

Performing Arts
The Wayward Music Series presents performances of new music in all genres at their Chapel Performance Space on the 4th floor of the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. Daniel Corral is an L.A.- based composer who will present a new composition entitled “Polytope” on Fri., March 23 at 8pm. It is a multimedia microtonal performance for MIDI quartet in which four musicians operate colorful glowing MIDI controllers in a mesmerizing dance of silhouettes, captured on live video and projected as a moving, visual score. April 6 brings a piece entitled “Things That Break” which is a collaboration between composer Jessi Harvey, animator Becky Joy Aitken, Performer Aimee Hong and photographer/narrator Sonya Harris. It explores the idea of breaking in all forms. All performances at 8pm. Suggested donation is $15. Email info@waywardmusic.org for details.

Bodybodybody@noellechundance presents “MA”, a performance that creates a world between presence and absence, practice and performance, certainty and the unknown with choreography by Noelle Chun. Visual artist Tara Tamaribuchi creates an installation that adds layers of energy, weight and emotion to the environment. Performers include Seattle dancers Vanessa DeWolf, Linsyanne Owen and Hendri Walujo. April 27 at 8pm and April 28 at 5pm. YAW Theater at 6520 5th Ave. S. For tickets, go to madance.brownpapertickets.com.

Theatre critic and educator Misha Berson curates a new series presented by UW School of Drama entitled “State of the Theatre: Seattle Artists in Conversation” with some of Seattle’s most accomplished theatre people. All events are free and open to the public. Dates and topic titles are as follows – “The Sound and the Fury” on Mon., April 30 at 7pm. Features a panel of sound designers, names TBA. All talks at the Jones Playhouse on 4045 University Way NE in Seattle’s University District. Go to https://drama.washington.edu/events/2018-01-22/state-theatre-playwriting-age-trump for details.

ReAct Theatre, a multicultural company run by David Hsieh. In the summer, they encore “Aliens” by Annie Baker, a comedic drama with music that explores the friendship between three millennial misfits June 29 – July 29, 2018. At 12th Avenue Arts on Capitol Hill. All tickets at Brown Paper Tickets.

“Yoni Ki Baat”, Tasveer’s adaptation of Eve Ensler’s “Vagina Monologues” as performed by local South Asian women as part of “AAINA – South Asian Women’s Focus” coordinated by Uma Rao takes place on March 23 – March 25 from 7 – 9pm. Seattle University’s Pigott Hall Auditorium on the campus. 901 – 12th Ave. 206-349-4478 or go to tasveer.org.

Teen prodigy classical guitarist Alan Liu presents a free program of music on March 24 at 2pm as part of the “Free at The Frye” series at the Frye Art Museum. 704 Terry Ave. 206-622-9250.

Japanese composer/pianist Tempei Nakamura based in Tokyo/New York does a Northwest tour. He has eclectic tastes and plays in a number of styles. Catch him in Seattle on Mon., March 26 at 7pm at the Japanese Baptist Church at 160 Broadway. Free. He also plays Portland on March 25 and Lacey on March 27. Ages 6 and up. Register on Eventbrite.

Violinist Ray Chen and pianist Julio Elizalde are in recital at Benaroya Hall on March 31 at 2pm in a program of Beethoven, Saint-Saens and Stravinsky. Downtown Seattle.

Shen Yun 2018 is the annual celebration of China’s dance and musical traditions. March 28 – April 1, 2018. McCaw Hall at Seattle Center. 321 Mercer St. 800-880-0188 or go to tickets.shenyun.com.

The Asia Northwest Cultural Education Association presents Sakura-Con, the oldest and most well attended anime convention in the Pacific Northwest. Takes place March 31 and April 1 at Washington State Convention Center at 800 Convention Place in Seattle. $80 at the door. Pre-register and get a discounted membership. Go to http://sakuracon.org/registration.

Earshot Jazz presents New York-based jazz singer/songwriter Kavita Shah in duo with noted French bassist Francois Moutin in a concert of acoustic bass and voice. They will perform a mix of standards and originals from their new recording “Interplay” (Dot Time records). April 6 at 7pm at The Royal Room. To guarantee a good seat, make a dinner reservation by emailing reservations@theroyalroomseattle.com. A ticket alone does not guarantee seating. For sold-out shows, standing room may be the only option. 5000 Rainier Ave. S. 206-906-9920 or go to www.theroyalroomseattle.com.

The Seattle University School of Law hosts a discussion of the infamous Supreme Court cases that upheld the Japanese incarceration during WWII, the legal challenges that successfully re-opened them and their haunting present-day-relevance. “Japanese American Incarceration: Civil Liberties, Then and Now” takes place on Friday, April 13 from 8:30am – 12:30pm. Includes special guest Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Korematsu, who challenged the wartime orders. Seattle University School of Law located at 901 – 12th Ave.

“Ghosts of Hell Creek” is a collaboration between paleontologists Greg Wilson & Dave Evans and choreographer Ari Rudenko. Rudenko directs a prehistoric animal dance that combines Japanese butoh theater and Indonesian traditional/contemporary dance influences with a science-based comparative examination of the anatomy. May 5 & 6 at Meany Center For The Performing Arts on the Seattle UW campus. Meanycenter.org or 206-543-4880.

Asia Pacific Cultural Center presents “Thousand Faces”, a touring production of Chinese opera. See it on Sat., May 12 at 7:20pm at Chief Sealth International High School at 2600 SW Thistle St. in Seattle and again on Sun., May 13 at 7:20pm at Pantages Theatre at 901 Broadway in Tacoma. Call 253-383-3900 for tickets and information.

The Converge Dance Festival 2018 stages works by eight choreographers just coming into their own. This year’s festival takes place at Velocity Dance Center May 25 – 26. Includes the work of Warren Woo. 1621 12th Ave. 206-325-8773.

On the Boards will present the 2018 NW New Works Festival June 8 – 10 & June 15 – 17, 2018. Susan Lieu and Majinn are two of the performers for the Studio Theatre Showcase on June 8 at 8pm & June 9 – 10 at 5pm.Pam Tzeng is on the bill at the Studio Theatre Showcase June 15 at 8pm & June 16 – 17 at 5pm. 100 W. Roy St. 206-217-9886 or go to https://www.ontheboards.org for details.

The UW keyboard program presents their “Catch A Rising Star”, a quarterly guest artist series featuring younger talent making their presence felt. On April 29, 2018 at 4:30pm in Brechemin Auditorium, catch thirteen-year old Yesong Sophie Lee, winner of the 2016 International Menuhin Competition in a free recital. Go to www.music.washington.edu for details.

ARTSWEST in West Seattle presents the following –Next up is Branden Jacobs-Jenkins “An Octoroon” directed by Brandon J. Simmon which is a genre-defying play on the performance of race. April 19 – May 12, 2018. The season closes with Kiss of The Spider Woman” June 7 – July 8, 2018. 2018.S.W. in West Seattle.

The Aha Mele Hawaiian Festival takes place at Chief Leschi Schools in Puyallup. Enjoy Hawaiian culture with delicious food, Hawaiian and Polynesian entertainment and checking out goods from Hawaiian vendors. April 14 from 11am – 9pm. $5 admission. 5625- 52nd St. E.

The annual Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival takes place April 20 – 22 at the Seattle Center Armory Main Level & at Fisher Pavilion. Enjoy Japanese cultural arts with live performances, visual arts, hands-on activities, food, games, taiko drumming and artisan demonstrations. Free.206-684-7200 or go to www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

The Meany Center For The Performing Arts has released their 2017/2018 schedule. Some of the many highlights include the following – The popular return of the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre Of Taiwan led by founder Lin Hwai Min with a new work entitled “Formosa – (beautiful island)” which uses gesture, script, song and other elements from the landscape and history of his native Taiwan. Thurs. – Sat. on March 22 – 24, 2018 at 8pm. The Juilliard String Quartet with Joseph Lin in the lead violin chair performs on Thurs., Nov. 9 2017 at 7:30pm. Calidore String Quartet with David Finckel and Wu Han perform on Tues., April 24 , 2018 at 7:30pm. “Feathers Of Fire – A Persian Epic” updates the classic shadow play traditions of Asia & the Near East with cinematic “live animation” shadow-casting actors and puppets along with projected imagery in the magical tale of star-crossed lovers from the 10th century Persian epic “Shahnameh (The Book of Kings)” set for Wed., March 14, 2018 at 8pm. With an original score by Loga Ramin Torkian & Azam Ali. Calidore String Quartet with David Hinckel and Wu Han perform April 24 – 29 at 7:30pm. All concerts at Meany Center located on the Seattle campus of the University of Washington. Series tickets on sale now. Single tickets go on sale on August 1, 2017. You can order online at meanycenter.org or call 206-543-4880 or visit the ticket office at 41st Street between University Way NE & Brooklyn Ave. NE. tickets available via FAX too at 206-685-4141.

Seattle singer/songwriter Daniel Pak sheds his KORE IONZ title and celebrates his solo re-emergence and his birthday as well with friends like Prometheus Brown (Blue Scholars) and Totem Star Youth. He performs on Friday, April 20 at 8pm. All ages. $12 advance ticket. Two of the biggest stars in Korean pop music, Mad Clown and San E take their American tour to Seattle when they hit the Crocodile on Thurs., April 19, 2018. Both rappers like many stars on the K-Pop music circuit are actually Korean Americans now based in Seoul. San E hails from Atlanta and Mad Clown comes from Chicago. The Crocodile at 220 – 2nd Ave. 206-441-4618.Info@thecrocodile.com.

The Chinese Traditional Orchestra presents “Enchanting China” for a concert full of the unique sounds of classical Chinese instruments. Direct from China, the orchestra is on a West Coast tour with traditional dancers, a large chorus and Chinese & American vocalists. You’ll hear traditional Chinese opera, folk and classical music. April 2 at 8pm. At S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium at Benaroya Hall. 206-215-4747 or toll-free at 866-333-4747. 200 University St. downtown Seattle.

The Music of Remembrance organization exists so that the voices of musical witness can be heard. In the past they have organized music of composers who perished in the Holocaust. This year, they shine their light on Japan and the internment camp experience of Japanese Americans. A concert set for Spring is entitled “Gaman” by Christophe Chagnard. After Pearl Harbor, more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent – a majority of them American citizens – were forced into detention camps scattered across the United States. Chagnard explores this dark chapter of American history incorporating the stories of individuals, families and artists based on their personal accounts, journals, letters and art works. This multi-media work will tell the story through the imagery and words of Seattle artists Takuichi Fujii and Kamekichi Tokita who were interned at Minidoka Relocation Center in Idaho. Instrumentation will combine traditional Japanese and classical Western instruments along with a narrator/singer combined with visual media projections. Completing the program are the following – “August 6” is a composition for violin and double bass by Shinji Eshima that makes an eloquent plea about the urgency of preventing nuclear war. The other pieces feature Erwin Schulhoff’s “Five Pieces for String Quartet” (1923) which includes a sixth piece. Baritone Erich Parce sings songs written and performed by prisoners in the Terezin concentration camps. “Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes for Violin & Piano” by Mieczyslaw Weinberg who suffered under both Nazi and Soviet hands completes the bill.Set for May 20, 2018 at 5pm at Nordstrom Recital Hall in Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle. A new composition on WWII by Ryuichi Sakamoto has been postponed until next year. For details, go to musicofremembrance.

Crossroads Bellevue, the Eastside’s live music venue presents free live performances every weekend. On the 2nd Saturday of every month at 5:30pm is 2nd Saturday Family Night with free kid-friendly music performances. On the 3rd Saturday of every month at 6:30pm is Northwest Folklife which presents diverse, family-friendly cultural arts performances. To see the schedule, go to crossroadsbellevue.com. 15600 NE 8th in Bellevue. 425-644-1111.

The Seattle World Percussion Society presents their annual World Rhythm Festival which includes music, drum and dance and “community building through rhythm.” Music traditions from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, India, Brazil, North America and other countries across the globe are showcased. April 27 – 29, 2018 at Seattle Center. Free.

The Dragon Boat Festival takes place in Olympia on April 28, 2018. Go to www.stmartin.edu/news-events/university-events/dragon-boat-festival.

“String” is a world premiere musical with a mythological twist. What happens when a goddess comes to earth and falls in love and upsets the balance? Stars the ever busy Sara Porkalob. Part of Village Theatre’s 2017-2018 season. Plays through April 22, 2018 in Issaquah and April 27 – May 20 in Everett. 425-392-2202 for Issaquah and 425-257-8600 for Everett. Go to villagetheatre.org for details.

The Moisture Festival presents Libertease Cabaret with 3 nights of cabaret, circus, burlesque and more from March 29 – 31. Dancer Shanghai Pearl is part of the cast. At Broadway Performance Hall at 1625 Broadway on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. For tickets, go to moisturefestival.org.

Edmonds Center for the Arts presents the following – Mystical Arts of Tibet conclude a 5 day residency with a performance of traditional music and the creation of a mandala sand painting. The performance with multi-phonic chanting, music and dance takes place May 11, 2018 at 7:30pm. 425-275-9595.

Daisha, a classical trio composed of UW undergraduates Halie Borror on violin, Daniel Richardson on piano and Isabella Kodama on cello give a concert at Brechemin Auditorium on May 4, 2018. At 7:30pm and admission is free. On the Seattle UW campus. Go to www.music.washington.edu for details.

The Horse in Motion presents an immersive multi-room staging of Hamlet in the historic Stimson-Green Mansion. New York City-based director Julia Sears comes to Seattle to direct and Kevin Lin and Jocelyn Maher will share the role of Hamlet. April 12 – 29, 2018. Th. – Sun. at 7:30pm. For tickets & info., go to www.thehorseinmotion.org.

Zhenni Li of the McGill School of Music in Montreal has been hailed as a classical pianist with a gorgeous tone and mesmerizing touch. On April 24, 2018 she will give a recital at Brechemin Auditorium at 7:30pm. The following day she leads a master class with UW piano students at the same location on April 25 at 4:30pm. Both events are free. Seattle UW campus in the Music Building. Go to www.music.washington.edu for details.

Playwright Laureen Yee has a Seattle World Premiere of her play “The Great Leap” set for March 23 – April 22, 2018 at Seattle Repertory Theatre. The company shares this world premiere with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company. The plot revolves around Beijing University basketball coach Wen Chang and Manford, a young rough-around-the edges basketball talent from San Francisco’s Chinatown and how their worlds intersect. At the Leo K. Theatre. 155 Mercer St. Box Office # is 206-443-2222.

Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month takes place at Seattle Center with entertainment and cultural activities celebrating this vibrant culture. May 6, 2018 at Seattle Center’s Armory Building. 206-684-7200 or go to www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

“A Glimpse of China” is a free festival in which you can discover a 5,000 year-old cultural tradition, learn Chinese folk arts, make art and more.May 19, 2018 at Seattle Center. 206-684-7200 or go to www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

The annual Northwest Folklife Festival brings together the community’s cultural traditions in one place with music, dancing, poetry, films and storytelling from around the city and around the world. May 25 – 28 at Seattle Center. $10 suggested donation.

The UW faculty chamber group Frequencies welcomes special guest violinist Yura Lee in a concert entitled “Dialogues” set for May 27, 2018 at 7:30pm. Lee, the recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant will perform duos with each member of Frequency and the trio will then perform Erno Dohnanyi’s “Serenade”. At Meany Theater on the UW Seattle campus. Go to www.artsuw.org for details.

A rare opportunity to catch comedy star/actress Margaret Cho in a club setting happens March 29 – 31, 2018. MAD TV comic star Bobby Lee returns to the area for stand-up on June 7 & 9 . Both at Parlor Live Comedy on the 3rd floor of Lincoln Square at 700 Bellevue Way NE Ste. 300 in Bellevue,WA. 206-602-1441 or go to www.parlorlive.com.

Indo Canadian singer/songwriter Kiran Ahluwalia who mixes her Indian inspired tunes with Saharan beats will share the bill with North African singer/songwriter Squad Massi on April 19, 2018. Rockers Anders Osborne and Todd Park Mohr of Big Head Todd fame do two shows on April 18, 2018. All concerts at The Triple Door in downtown Seattle.216 Union St. 206-838-4333 or go to thetripledoor.net.

The Theatre Off Jackson has Hari and Ashok Kondabolu, the Kondabolu Brothers whose zany, sharp comedy will be taped for a live podcast. Come and be part of the fun. Shows are April 20 and May 1, 2018. The Sunday Night Shuga Shaq is the only monthly all people of color “burlesque revue” in Seattle. Produced by Briq House Entertainment and Sin De la Rosa with shows on April 8, May 13 and June 10 at 7pm. 409 – 7th Ave. S. in the CID.Go to www.theatreoffjackson.org for complete details.

Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival takes place June 2 – 3, 2018. Includes workshops, exhibits, demonstrations and performances that showcase Filipino history, art and culture. Free. Seattle Center. 206-684-7200 or try www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

Conductor Ludovic Morlot ends his tenure with the Seattle Symphony with a varied and stimulating series of concerts. Some highlights include noted soprano Yasko Sato who is featured in Seattle Symphony’s performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 Dec. 28 – 30, 2018. At the Taper auditorium. The annual “Celebrate Asia” concert is back on Jan. 27 at 4pm in Taper Auditorium. The theme this year is Korea. The orchestra will be led by highly touted conductor Shiyeon Sung known for finding the right balance between dynamic passion and even handed music making. Pianist Seong-Jin Chao won the Gold Medal at the Chopin International Competition and has never looked back. He will be a featured soloist. Soprano Kathleen Kim is a regular guest at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera and will grace the stage with her beautiful voice. The program consists of work by John Adams, Rachmaninov, Narong Prangcharoen, Unsuk Kim and traditional Korean folk songs. Taper Auditorium. The Silkroad Ensemble (featured in a documentary film) returns with the world premiere of Kinan Azmeh’s clarinet concerto, composer/pianist Vijay Iyer’s “City of Sand”, Edward Perez’s “Latina 6/8 Suite” and a world premiere by noted composer Chen Yi. Wed., Feb. 6 at 7:30pm in the Taper Auditorium. All concerts at Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle. Go to seattlesymphony.org for details.

Emerald City Music presents the duo of Hyeyeon Pak on piano and Dmitri Atapine on cello in a selection of cello sonatas. May 12 at 7:30pm. Resonance at SOMA Towers in Bellevue. 288 – 106th Ave. NE 425-443-2585 or info@resonance.events.

Hawaiian-born, Seattle-based comedian Kermit Apio performs stand-up May 18 & 19 at Laughs Comedy Club in Seattle. 5220 Roosevelt Way NE. 206-526-5653.

Seattle Pro Musica presents a concert of sacred choral music in “Sacred Ground” on May 18 & 19 at 8pm. Included in the program is Hyo-Won Woo’s “Amazing Grace”. St. James Cathedral at 9th & Marion in Seattle. 206-781-2766 or try seattlepromusica.org.

Korean American saxophonist, singer and composer Grace Kelly plays Jazz Alley on June 5 & 6 at 7:30pm. 2033 – 6th Ave. 206-441-9729 or try jazzalley.com.

The Seattle International Dance Festival takes place June 8 – 24 at various locations around Seattle and always includes a generous sampling of local talent and visiting international companies. Go to seattleidf.org for details.

The Tibet Fest showcases that country’s arts and culture with entertainment, food and activities. August 25 – 26 at the Seattle Center Armory. 206-684-7200 or go to www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

September 9, 2018 marks the “Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival” held at Seattle Center’s Armory. 206-684-7200 or go to www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

The city of Renton celebrates their diversity with a Multi-Cultural Festival held September 14 – 15. 425-430-6600 or go to rentonwa.gov.

October 20, 2018 marks the day of “Diwali: Lights of India Festival” at Seattle Center Armory. 206-684-7200 or go to www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

November 3, 2018 is the “Hmong New Year Celebration” at Seattle Center’s Armory. 206-684-7200 or try www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

Congratulations to local dancer/choreographer Angel Alviar-Langley who received an ARC Artist Fellowship from 4Culture. Other winners include Earl Debnam, Tara Hardy and Michael Rowe. Go to 4culture.org for details.

Portland Opera’s new season includes “Faust”, “La Cenerentola”, “Rigoleto” and “Orfeo Ed Euridice”. Some of the singers in these productions include Shi Li and Helen Huang plus conductor Carolyn Kuan is also involved. Performances are at the Hampton Opera Center in Portland. 503-241-1802 is the box office number.

Bay-area based jazz drummer/composer Akira Tana was the cover story in the January 2018 issue of Jazz Journal. He was recently honored by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts YBCA 100 List for 2017 which celebrates the innovators and thought leaders who use their platform to create cultural movement.

Bay Area-based composer/musician Mark Izu and storyteller/performer Brenda Wong Aoki keep busy. On April 29, 2018, they appear with Robert Honda on “Asian Pacific America” on NBC TV. They also have a spring performance entitled “Aunt Lily’s Flowerbook: 100 Years of Legalized Racism” on Thurs., May 24 at 7pm at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco as the closing event for CAAM Fest 2018. Go to www.firstvoice.org for details.

In October of 2011, Pvt. Danny Chen suffered a fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head while on guard duty at a military base in Afghanistan. It was later revealed that the soldier suffered racial taunts and hazing from fellow soldiers before he committed suicide. Now the Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents a world premiere of a new two-act opera based on the Danny Chen case entitled “An American Soldier – Out of Many, One” by composer Huang Ruo and a libretto by playwright David Henry Hwang. Andrew Stenson stars as Danny Chen, Wayne Tigges as Sgt. Aaron Marcum, Mika Shigematsu as Mother Chen, and Kathleen Kim as Josephine Young. The orchestra is conducted by Michael Christie. The opera is directed by Matthew Ozawa. Performances on June 3, 6, 9,14, 16 & 22. At Loretto-Hilton Center at 130 Edgar Rd. in St. Louis, MO. Go to opera-sti.org or call 314-961-0644.

Internationally known classical conductor Seiji Ozawa has been admitted to a Tokyo hospital with heart problems. His treatment is expected to last a month. Ozawa served stints as conductor for the Boston Symphony, the Toronto Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony and is known for his advocacy for modern composers.

The Berlin Philharmonic has hired viola player Kyongmin Park. She is the first Korean to ever play in the elite ensemble. Park came in second in the 2013 ARD competition.

Film & Media
Screening April 6 – 12, 2018 is a documentary film entitled “The China Hustle” by Jed Rothstein that reveals how China entered the US stock markets. “Home Movies – Oxhide II (Niupi er) is a documentary film by Liu Jiayin. It screens on April 14 at 4:30pm. The director films her parents as they make dumplings on a cramped table and discuss business with their daughter. The film reveals how a simple task illuminates life on a grander scale. All films screen locally at Northwest Film Forum on Capitol Hill at 1515 12th Ave. 206-329-2629.

“Oh Lucy!” directed by Atsuko Hirayanagi (now based in the Bay Area) and starring Shinobu Terajima, Josh Hartnett, Shioli Kutsuna and Megan Mullally was nominated for a Film Independent Spirit Award in 2018. It tells the story of a single, emotionally unfulfilled woman in Tokyo stuck with a drab, meaningless life who enrolls in an unorthodox English class that changes her life. She becomes infatuated with her teacher. When he suddenly disappears with her niece for Southern California, she enlists the help of her sister and flies to Los Angles to find him. Opens on March 16. For foodies who love ramen, a documentary film entitled “Ramen Heads” looks at Tamita Osamu, an award-winning chef from Japan who starts his routine at 4:30am. So wide is his reputation that customers line up at 6:30am just to assure themselves a seat at the counter for lunch. Screens March 30 – April 5, 2018. Wes Anderson’s new animated feature entitled “Isle of Dogs” takes place in Japan. Opens March 29. (see related article on the soundtrack elsewhere in this issue). “Saturday Morning Cartoons” is a monthly celebration of animated films from across the globe. Coming to the series on April 28, 2018 is Studio Ghibli director Isao Takahata’s 1999 film, “My Neighbors the Yamadas”. This is a multi-generational look at the hardships and joys of a Japanese family. Both at SIFF Uptown. 511 Queen Anne Ave. N. 206-464-5830 or info@siff.net or try Go to siff.net for details.

Central Cinema brings back two Asian classics. March 30 – April 3 is Hayao Miyazaki’s “Howl’s Moving Castle” based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones. April 13 – 17 is Ang Lee’s foray into the martial arts genre with “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. 1411 21st Ave. 206-328-3230.

Opening April 20 in many theatres is Indian Canadian director Jay Chandrasekhar’s “Super Troopers 2” about the clash between American cops and Royal Canadian Mounties in a slapstick comedy of cultural manners.

If you have enjoyed an animated feature film from Japan’s Ghibli Studios and wished you could see more, here’s your chance. Fathom Events brings a Studio Ghibli Film Festival starting in March and going through November, 2018. The films will screen at Pacific Place 11, The Varsity in the University District & Thornton Place 14 in Seattle and Lincoln Square Cinemas in Bellevue. All screenings at 12:55pm in the afternoon. Here are the titles and dates. Please note that some screenings will be dubbed and others will be with subtitles. “Ponyo” plays March 25 (dubbed), March 26 (subtitled) and March 28 (dubbed). “The Cat Returns” screens April 22 (dubbed), April 22 (subtitled) and April 25 (dubbed). “Porco Rosso” screens May 20 (dubbed), May 21 (subtitled) and May 23 (dubbed). “Pom Poko” is on June 17 (debbed), June 18 (subtitled) and June 20 (dubbed). “Princess Mononoke” is July 22 (dubbed), July 23 (subtitled), July 25 (dubbed). “Grave of the Fireflies” is August 12 (dubbed), August 13 (subtitled) and August 15 (dubbed). “My Neighbor Totoro” is Sept. 30 (dubbed), Oct. 1 (subtitled) and Oct. 3 (subtitled). “Spirited Away” is Oct. 28 (dubbed), Oct. 29 (subtitled) and Oct. 30 (subtitled). “Castle in the Sky” is Nov. 18 (dubbed), Nov. 19 (subtitled) and Nov. 30 (dubbed).

Lawrence Loh conducts the Seattle Symphony in a live performance of John Williams’ iconic score with a screening of “Star Wars: A New Hope” at Benaroya Hall on July 13 at 8pm, July 14 at 8pm and July 15 at 2pm. Loh is active as a guest conductor with an affinity for pops programming and conducting concerts synchronizing live orchestral music with film. He is Music Director of Symphoria of Syracuse, New York and Music Director of the West Virginia Symphony. 200 University St. in downtown Seattle. Box Office # is 206-215-4747.

The 16th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles takes place from April 11 – 15, 2018. For details, go to www.indianfilmfestival.org

Canadian filmmaker Mina Shun (“Double Happiness”) is back with a new film entitled “Meditation Park” that stars Sandra Oh and Chinese actress Cheng Pei Pei. The story focuses on an older immigrant woman who is at a crossroads in her marriage when she discovers her husband’s infidelity. She embarks on a journey of mental, financial and physical emancipation. Cheng Pei Pei was a noted actress in early Shaw Brothers martial arts films in her youth and also had a part in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” No word yet on when the film will get distribution rights in the US.

“Ugly Delicious” is famed Momofuku” restaurant entrepreneur/chef David Chang’s new series on American comfort food now airing on Netflix.

Robin Lung’s documentary film “Finding Kukan” which was well received at the 2017 SIFF International Film Festival has been given funding from the Center for Asian American Media and will be broadcast on PBS shortly. Lung continues to tour with the film at festivals/events across the country. For more information, go to nesteggproductions.com.

Famous Bollywood actress Sridevi died after an accidental drowning in Dubai. She was a child actress and went on to star in regional films in southern India. By 1980, she was a Bollywood star who got top billing in an industry where the heroine usually only gets a few songs and romantic scenes. In 1997, she married film producer Boney Kapoor and had two daughters. She retired to raise her two daughters only to return to films in 2012. Her older daughter, Janhvi Kapoor is slated to make her debut Bollywood film debut later this year.

Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights to the Japanese animated drama “Fireworks” directed by Nobuyuki Takeuchi. The story involves a shy boy who discovers a rainbow ball in the sea that has the power to turn back time which gives him a chance to be with the girl he loves. That is, until complications develop. Probable release date here is in the summer of 2018.

The Honolulu International Film Festival has announced films for their spring showcase screening April 6 – 15, 2018 in Honolulu. Go to https://www.hiff.org for details. Below are some short details on the Asian-related films. Hopefully this will whet your appetite for our own Seattle International Film Festival coming here May 17 – June 10, 2018 (Go to siff.net/festival2018 for tickets and information.). With luck, perhaps some of these same films will be playing at SIFF 2018 or show in Seattle later in the year. “Life in Overtime” (Japan) is a dramedy based on an acclaimed novel. When a retired bank executive finds his new life of leisure empty, a younger woman and a tech entrepreneur offer him a new lease on life with fresh opportunities. “Little Forest” (South Korea) is directed by Yim Soonrye. This is a Korean re-make of a famous Japanese manga and film that looks at a young woman who teaches herself to live with the seasons of life. “Love Education” (China) by Sylvia Chang follows three women of different eras as a metaphor for modern Chinese history. “Mixed Doubles” (Japan) by Junichi Ichikawa is a romantic comedy about a retired ping pong champ who must pick up the paddle again to defend her honor. “Omotenashi” (Japan/Taiwan ROC) by Taiwanese American director Jay Chern explores the deep cultural and filial bonds between Taiwan and Japan through the rich tapestry of a family owned inn in Kyoto. “Mori, The Artist’s Habitat” by Shuichi Ota captures the genteel life of one of Japan’s celebrated painters

who shunned notoriety to live in his country home, painting the animals and plants in his backyard garden. Koko Shigeno’s “Ramen Heads” (Japan) recently played in Seattle and takes a look at the regimen of one of Japan’s best ramen chefs and what he has to do to keep it real. “Out of State” (U.S.) is a documentary film that tells the story of two native Hawaiians who discover their indigenous traditions from a fellow inmate in an Arizona prison. Returning to civilian life on the islands with this new found life discovery however, proves to be a challenge. “1987: When The Day Comes” (South Korea) by Joon-hawn Jang. Taken from the news, this drama traces how a student’s death by torture becomes a catalyst for the overthrow of a military dictatorship under Chun Doo-hwan. “Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura” (Japan) by Takashi Yamazaki. Based on a 1980’s manga, this film tells the fantastical tale of a mystery author and his wife and their adventures in the supernatural town of Kamakura. “The Fortress” (South Korea) by Dong-hyuk Hwang. In 1636, China invaded Korea forcing the king and his court to a mountain fortress. As people die from cold and hunger, the king must make a difficult decision. “The Hungry” (India/UK) by Bornila Chatterje. Based on Shakespeare, this is a tale of corruption, false celebration and murder. “Jimami Tofu” (Japan/Singapore) by Jason Chan/Christian Lee. When an ambitious Singaporean chef in Tokyo finds his wife missing, he journeys to her hometown in Okinawa in pursuit. Along the way, he discovers new and delicious flavors at her father’s restaurant. “Kiss and Spell” (Vietnam) by Stephanie Gauger. A supernatural romantic comedy about a magician and a girl who has the ability to see ghosts and their relationship. “Kusama – Infinity” (U.S.) by Heather Lenz captures the power of this artist’s work and embodies the majestic voice of her unique vision. “The Satellite Girl And Milk Cow” (South Korea) by Jang Hyun-yu. When a rejected, heart-broken musician turns into a cow, his plaintive song lures a non-working satellite who has accidentally turned into a rocket girl. Together with an enchanted roll of toilet paper, they battle the forces of evil. “Sexy Durga” (India) by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan is a psycho-thriller that tells the story of a couple on the run from petty hoodlums who encounter numerous obstacles on the road. Looks at the brutality towards women juxtaposed with the reverent worship of female goddesses in Kerala. Power, politics and patriarchy form an explosive mix. “Tremble All You Want” (Japan) by Akiko Ooku. A romantic comedy based on a popular novel. An office girl who is outspoken with her family but shy to the rest of the world can’t shake her obsession over a junior high crush even though a male friend is in love with her. “The Third Murder” (Japan) by Hirokazu Kore-eda. This noted director departs from the theme of family life to look at a murder in which the killer freely admits to have done the deed. But below the surface lie many secrets. This film swept the Japanese academy awards. With the powerhouse duo of Koji Yakusho and Masaharu Fukuyama. “ULAM: Main Dish” (U.S.) by Alexandra Cuerdo. This documentary looks at how Filipino food is rising from its humble origins and taking the foodie world by storm. A look at the chefs and their family history. “Japan – We Make Antiques” (Japan) by Masaharu Take. A comedy about two scammers in the antique field who team up to dupe a distinguished appraiser and his trusted dealer at their own game.

Daniel Wu is a Bay Area Chinese American who got his start in Hong Kong acting as a closeted gay cop in a Yonfan film entitled “Bishonen.” He’s now acted in 60 feature films in Hong Kong and China and is now a famous producer/actor represented by Jackie Chan’s ageny. Yet in America, he’s an unknown commodity only recently getting exposure for a role in the new “Tomb Raider” and the role of the fierce warrior Sunny in the AMC series “Into the Badlands.” Over the years, he has checked out Hollywood only to find that there was no interest. Now he feels with Chinese money influencing filmmaking, things are opening up. – excerpted from an L.A. Times story by Jen Yamato.

The Written & Spoken Arts
Elliott Bay Book Company continues to sponsor readings in their Capitol Hill bookstore as well as co-producing events all over the city. Below you will find a partial listing of some of their events. Events are at the bookstore located at 1521 Tenth Ave. unless otherwise noted. 206-624-6600. On Wed., March 21 at 7pm, the store welcomes Niti Sampat Patel, a scholar from Bombay who reads from her first novel entitled “Moon Goddess” (Loose Moose). The book traces the lives of several generations of women in India, the U.S. and Lebanon. Again at the book store on Thurs., March 22, Seattle fiction writer Richard Chiem (“You Private Person”) engages in conversation with Eastern Washington writer Bruce Holbert about his new novel entitled “Whiskey” (C McD/Farrar, Straus & Giroux). On Fri., March 23 at 7:30pm, Hugo Literary Series presents the theme of “Real Estate” with novelist Joshua Ferris, prose writer Melissa Febos, poet E.J. Koh and singer/songwriter Tomo Nakayama. This event at Fred W. Wildlife Refuge at 128 Belmont Ave. E. 21+ only. Go to www.hugohouse.org for details. Back at the store on Mon., March 26 at 7pm the journalist/scholar Himanee Gupta-Carlson asks what do non-whites, non-christians and/or non-natives mean when they call themselves American? Find out in her study of the Midwest in “Middletown and Asian America” (Univ. of Illinois). Co-presented with the Asian American Journalists Association of Seattle. On Fri.,March 30 at 7pm at WithinSodo located at 2916 Utah Ave. S., the Vietnamese Friendship Association’s Annual Gala’s special guest is best-selling author, artist and former public school teacher Thi Bui. Bui will talk about her graphic novel based on her family history entitled “The Best We Could Do” (Abrams). Co-sponsored by Raised Donuts, Young Tea, Abrams Books and Elliott Bay Book Company. Tickets at https://www.facebook.com/events/989771001179660/. Weike Wang comes to Elliott Bay to read from the new paperback edition of her award-winning novel “Chemistry” (Vintage), a coming-into-adulthood story with a twist that explores the stereotype of the model minority. On Thurs., April 12 at 7pm. Masatsugu Ono reads from “Lion Cross Point” (Two Lines Press), a novel translated by Angus Turvill that unravels the many layered mysteries of the family. Ono won the Akutagawa Prize in 2017. On Sat. April 21 at 7pm at the book store. On Mon., April 23 at 7pm at Hugo House, noted novelist Alexander Chee returns to Seattle to read from his first collection of non-fiction entitled “How To Write an Autobiographical Novel” (Mariner Books). Co-presented by Elliott Bay. Hugo House is at 1021 Columbia St. near Frye Art Museum. Nancy Singleton Hachisu, author of the best-selling “Japanese Farm Food” returns to Seattle with a comprehensive volume on Japanese cuisine entitled “Japan the Cookbook” (Phaidon) to talk about. A definitive tome with over 400 recipes from every category of Japanese cooking. On Tues., April 24 at 7pm at the book store. On May 17 at 7pm, Rahna Reiko Rizuto reads from her latest novel entitled “Shadow Child”.And a reminder – Sat., April 28 is “Independent Bookstore Day.” Visit three or more independent bookstores in Puget Sound and get a general prize. Visit all 19 of them and receive a grand champion prize. For details, check in at your local independent bookseller.

Takami Nieda, translator of Kazuki Kaneshiro’s novel “Go” (Amazon Crossing) will talk about the work and sign books. The protagonist is a Japanese resident of Korean origin who criticizes Japan’s treatment of ethnic Korean citizens. March 24 at 2pm. Kinokuniya Books. 525 South Weller in the CID. 206-587-2477.

On April 14, Mohsin Hamid reads from his novel about illegal immigrants entitled “ExitWest” at 7pm. Advance tickets required for this event. All readings at Third Place Books in Seward Park at 5041 Wilson Ave. S. 206-471-2200.

The UW Alumni Association presents their “Public Lectures – Spring 2018” series. Some selected titles include the following – On May 2 at 7:30pm in Kane Hall 120 on the Seattle UW campus, hear UW Psychology Professor Sheri Mizumori and Michael Yassa, Professor of Neuroscience at UC Irvine address the topic of “New Directions in Our Understanding of Aging and Memory”. On May 9 at 7:30pm in Kane Hall 130 on the Seattle UW campus, hear Yuichi Shoda, Professor of Psychology at UW and David Laibson, Chairman of the Department of Economics at Harvard address the topic of “Taking the Self out of Self-Control”. On May 8 at 6:30pm at Kane Hall 225 on the UW campus, hear Professor Ronald Egan, Confucius Institute Professor of Sinology at Stanford University address the topic of Chinese poetry and Song dynastic aesthetics & poetry as part of the 2018 Andrew L. Markus Memorial Lecture under the department of Asian Languages & Literature. On March 22 at 7pm at KEXP Studios at 472 1st Ave. N. in Seattle catch “Short Talks: Art” in which four people in the arts give their personal perspectives on how art can create opportunities for dialogue, authentic representation and social disruption. Includes Randy Ford – Creative, Priya Frank – Connector, Jaebediah S. Gardner – Cultivator and Martin Sepulveda – Collaborator. Susan Harewood, Director of the Master of Arts Program in Cultural Studies at UW Bothell will moderate. Ticket price will include appetizers and drinks. To register or to get more information on the complete series, call 206-543-0540 or go to uwalum.com/lectures.

On Thursday, March 22, 2018 at 7:30pm, Seattle poet Shin Yu Pai starts her Town Hall Seattle Neighborhood Residency by hosting poet and Zen Roshi Peter Levitt who will give a poetry reading and speak on “Creativity and the Sacred in the Everyday”. Phinney Neighborhood Association Main Hall. 6632 Phinney Ave. N. 206-783-2244 or go to https:www.phinneycenter.org/.

Town Hall Seattle and Seattle Department of Neighborhoods present “In Residence-How the Body Holds Its Stories with Neve Mazique, Nic Masangkay and Jordan Alam” in which these local artists join Inside/Out Neighborhood Resident Jordan Alam for poetry, music and prose expressing how personal experiences inhabit our bodies. Free. Sat., March 31 at 7:30pm Rainier Arts Center at 3515 South Alaska St.

Town Hall Seattle and Seattle Department of neighborhoods present “In Residence-Telling the Stories of the Body: A Writing Workshop with Inside/Out Resident Jordan Alam” in which Inside/Out Resident and doula Jordan Alam, Black disabled punk femme body artist Neve Mazique and Filipino queer and trans poet and musician Nic Masangkay join together in a writing workshop to help you tease out your own stories of the body. Monday, April 2 at 7pm. Free. Hillman City Collaboratory at 5623 Rainier Ave. S.

Open Books is a Seattle treasure and one of the few bookstores in the country that specialize in poetry. Their events calendar is chock full of workshops, poetry discussions and poetry readings the year around. They have the following readings scheduled. Friends/poets Tess Gallagher and Lawrence Matsuda read together on March 23, 2018 at 7pm. Poets Amy Glynn and Garrett Hongo read together on April 6, 2018 at 7pm. In Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood at 2414 N. 45th St. 206-633-0811 or try openpoetrybooks.com.

Seattle Arts & Lectures continues to bring their wonderful program of readings to Seattle. On May 4 on Friday, at 7:30pm their “Sherman Alexie Loves” Series brings two New York Times bestselling young adult authors to town. Jenny Han and Nicola Yoon engage in conversation with Martha Brockenbrough at Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall. On May 7 at 7:30pm, scholar/fiction writer Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of “The Sympathizer”, “Nothing Ever Dies”, “The Refugees” and winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for fiction comes to Seattle to read. At S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium at Benaroya Hall. Noted poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil reads from her new book entitled “Oceanic” (Copper Canyon Press) on Monday, May 21 at 7:30pm at McCaw Hall – Nesholm Family Lecture Hall. 206-6212230 or go to sal@lectures.org for details.

On March 17, 2009, American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling were apprehended by North Korean soldiers while filming a documentary about North Korean defectors along the China-North Korea border and charged with illegal entry for crossing into North Korea. They were sentenced to 12 years hard labor in a prison camp. Lisa Ling, Laura’s sister who was a special correspondent on The Oprah Winfrey Show and CNN worked tirelessly to publicize the women’s ordeal. Finally in August, 2009, former President Bill Clinton was sent to Pyongyang as a special envoy and secured their release. The sisters are co-authors of “Somewhere Inside – One Sister’s Captivity in North Korea and The Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home”. In light of the current situation between North Korea and the U.S., Laura Ling’s Seattle appearance should bring an insightful perspective on the situation when she speaks on Mon., May 7, 2018 at 7:30pm as part of the “Live At McCaw Hall – Unique Lives” speaker’s series. At Seattle Center. Call 1-844-827-8118 or visit uniquelives.com for details.

In 2011, photojournalist David Guttenfelder helped Associated Press open a news bureau in North Korea. He will talk about that and his coverage of Fidel Castro’s funeral as part of “National Geographic Live – A Rare Look: North Korea to Cuba.” May 13 – 15, 2018 in Taper Auditorium . Seattle Symphony’s Benaroya Hall downtown. Go to seattlesymphony.org for details.

On Tues., May 29 at 7pm, catch “Tech Tales: Engineering Family Storytelling”, a workshop with UW Professor Carrie Tzou, Megan Bang and Philip Bell in which they talk about how parents and children can interweave their personal histories and stories with robotics and coding. Haynes’ Hall at McMenamins Anderson School 18607 Bothell Way NE in Bothell. Go to mcmenamins.com/history for details.

Yoon Ha Lee is an American science fiction/fantasy writer most known for his “Machineries of Empire” space opera novels and his short fiction. His first novel “Ninefox Gambit” received the 2017 Locus Award for Best First Novel. He will be in Seattle for a Clarion West workshop in July. The latest installment of his series will be out at the same time. He will appear for a presentation at the Wing Luke Museum at that time as well. 206-623-5124. To find out about the workshop, try info@clarionwest.org.

The National Book Critics Circle Awards have been announced. Finalists in the “Fiction” category included Mohsin Hamid for his book entitled “Exitwest” (Riverhead). In the “Autobiography” category, Thi Bu’s “The Best We Could Do – An Illustrated Memoir” (Abrams) and Xiaolu Guo’s “Nine Continents: A Memoir In And Out of China” (Grove) were finalists. Congratulations to Xiaolu Guo who won the National Book Critics Circle Award in the “Autobiography” category.

One finds it hard to keep up with the steady stream of new titles coming out even in the limited categories of works by or about Asian Americans and new titles on Asia but here’s a recent sampling. Please contact me if anyone is interested in reviewing any of the below titles for the International Examiner. Thanks! –

“An American Picture Bride” by Toy Kay with Janine Gates is the memoir of this Chinese American woman in Olympia. At the age of 16, she traveled from Billings, Montana to become the child bride to a restaurant owner in Olympia, Washington. This book tells the story of the early Chinese American community in that city as well as one woman’s personal journey to her own self-discovery.

Edgar Award-winning author Naomi Hirahara concludes her popular Mas Arai detective series with “Hiroshima Boy” (Prospect Park Books). This one has her hero returning to the place of his birth to bring back the ashes of his best friend to a sister. Soon enough, he finds himself embroiled in the mysterious death of a teenage boy on an island off the coast of Hiroshima.

“The Chinese Kitchen Garden – Growing Techniques and Family Recipes From a Classic Cuisine” (Timber Press) by Wendy Kiang-Spray tells her family story through the lens of gardening, cooking and what each season brings.

“Godsong – A Verse Translation of the Bhagavad-Gita with Commentary” (Knopf) by Amit Majmudar is a new translation of that Indian classic by a contemporary American poet who attempts to see it in a new light.

“Double Visions, Double Fictions – The Doppelganger in Japanese Film And Literature” (University of Minnesota) by Baryon Tensor Posadas analyzes now this device functions as a conceptual practice as utilzed by some of Japan’s most important modern writers and filmmakers.

“Project Mulberry” (HMH) is a new paperback edition of Linda Sue Park’s classic young adult novel about how a Korean American seventh-grader learns about her own culture through a silkworm project for a state fair.

“Daybreak in Myanmar” (Verve Photo) by Geoffrey Hiller documents this Portland photographer’s many visits to that isolated Asian country and its’ slow transition. 170 images of that country from dawn to dusk are accompanied by interviews with prominent Burmese figures.

“The Chinese Emperor’s New Clothes” (Abrams) by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by David Roberts re-tells the Hans Christian Anderson tale of a boy emperor taken advantage of by corrupt ministers. In this story, can this boy outsmart his enemies and save his country?

Ruby Lal retells the fascinating story of a Muslim woman who ruled an empire in “Empress- The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan” (W.W. Norton). She receives her due in this deeply researched, evocative biography that opens up a window to a hidden history.

“Eye Level” (Graywolf) is Jenny Xie’s debut book of poetry. The apt title brings us a poet with a sensitive eye that surveys the world in intimate detail as it and the observer continually change. Winner of the Walt Whitman Award of the Academy of American Poets.

“American Panda” (Simon & Schuster) is the debut young adult novel by Gloria Chao. It tells the story of Mei Lu whose life seems planned out until in college, she sees things change. Forced to confront the secrets around her, she learns powerful lessons about family, love and staying true to yourself.

“Verax – The True History of Whistle Blowers, Drone Warfare and Mass Surveillance” (Metropolitan) is a graphic novel by Pratap Chatterjee and Khalil that links the US government’s reliance on inaccurate electronic surveillance and the dangers it poses to ordinary citizens.

“The Art of Resistance – Paintings by Candlelight in Mao’s China” (UW Press) by Shelly Drake Hawks takes a look at those artists who pursued independence during a time of severe political repression. Forbidden to do their art, they persisted in painting secretly by candlelight.

Using simple text and clear line drawing, Japanese children’s book author/artist Taro Gomi takes children on a magical journey in “Little Truck” (Chronicle).

“Yaks Yak – Animal Word Pairs” (Clarion Books) is a clever, fun picture book by Newbery Medal winner Linda Sue Park illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt. In it, she pairs animal names and actions in unlikely, comical pairs for a special kind of wordplay.

“The Heart Is A Shifting Sea – Love And Marriage In Mumbai” (Harper Press) by Elizabeth Flock looks at life in India through the ritual of marriage. Flock examines three middle class marriages and how they play out over a decade.

Gavin Aung Thai showed his graphic illustration skills in the New York Times. Now he turns them to two of his own graphic novel-style books for kids. In “Zen Pencils – Inspirational Quotes For Kids (both titles on Andrews McMeel), he takes philosophical quotes by influential figures and matches them with his creative illustrations. In “Zen Pencils – Creative Struggle: Illustrated Advice from Masters of Creativity”, he does a mash-up of cleaver cartoons and inspirational stories that features creative geniuses from history.

“Oceanic” (Copper Canyon Press) is a fourth collection of poetry by noted poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil. In it are poems of love to the earth and its inhabitants from the grief of the elephant to the icy eyes of a scallop. She comes to Seattle under the auspices of Seattle Arts & Lectures to give a talk on May 21 at 7:30pm at McCaw Hall. 206-621-2230 or try sal@lectures.org.

“Adventures in Starry Kitchen” (Harper One) by Nguyen Tran. When an unemployed couple start an illegal restaurant out of their North Hollywood apartment, celebrity chefs and food writers beat a path to their door. But so does the city health inspector. Interesting stories and recipes fill this book that tells the true story of an underground restaurant that turns legit and becomes an established culinary landmark in the city of angels.

“Moon Brow” (Restless Books) by Shahriar Mandanipour is a stunning novel of love and war, steeped in Persian folklore and contemporary Middle East history.

“Interpreting Anime” (University of Minnesota) by Christopher Bolton is a thoughtful introduction to Japanese animation and what makes it such a unique medium and adaptable art form.

“Emergency Contact” (Simon & Schuster) by young adult author Mary H. K. Choi is a story of a relationship for modern times. When Penny goes to college to learn how to become a writer she bumps into a guy who works at a café, sleeps upstairs but dreams of becoming a famous movie director. Through text messages they share the deepest anxieties and secret dreams without having the added stress of actually having to see each other.

“Ghosts of The Tsunami – Death And Life in Japan’s Disaster Zone” (Farrar Straus & Giroux) by Richard Lloyd Parry is the definitive account of what happened, why and how it felt when this catastrophe hit Japan. He examines the social and political ramifications of this post-disaster landscape and the impact upon its people.

“The Epic Crush of Genie Lo” (Amulet) by F. C. Yee. This young adult sci-fi story is about a hopeful overachiever in high school bent on cracking that elusive Harvard entry code until her world is turned upside down when her hometown comes under siege from a monster. A mysterious kid in her class helps her channel the powers she’ll need to defeat evil while the lives of her loved ones hang in the balance.

Patty Chang emerged from the New York City alternative art scene in the 1990’s with her deeply personal work in videos, photographs and performances. “The Wandering Lake” is both Queens Museum exhibition catalog and journal of her journeys of travel to locations of mythological culture and personal significance. From a mystic body of water in Yughur to a beached whale in Newfoundland to Uzbekistan, we see the workings of a creative,restless, inquisitive mind.

In “Ruby’s Chinese New Year” (Henry Holt) by Vickie Lee and illustrated by Joey Chou, a young girl meets every animal in the Chinese zodiac in an effort to deliver a new year’s message to her grandma. Which animal will get her message delivered?

The Diamond Mountains – studded with rocky peaks, waterfalls, lagoons and filled with temples and holy sites is perhaps the most iconic site in all of Korea though few have seen it in modern times since it is located in North Korea. “Diamond Mountains – Travel and Nostalgia in Korean Art” (The Met) is the exhibition catalog on this theme and is currently on view at the Met in New York.

“Running Through Sprinklers” (Simon & Schuster) by Michelle Kim is a young adult story about two best friends who think they’ll stay friends forever until everything changes. How can one girl save this friendship yet still discover her own true self as well?

“Record of Regret” (University of Oklahoma Press) is a novel by Dong Xi as translated by Dylan Levi King. Set during China’s cultural revolution, it’s the story of a young man trying to find his place in an upside-down world as he engages in dubious loyalties and learns life’s lessons.

“Ba-chan – The Ninja Grandma” (Little Bigfoot) by Sanae Ishida continues the adventures of this popular series. What happens when the Ninja Girl visits her grandma with her little brother in tow? Find out when this new book comes out in September, 2018.

“Sheep Machine” (Black Sun) by Vi Khi Nao is yet another page torn from this inquisitive and prolific experimental poet. Influenced by Leslie Thornton’s film of sheep feeding in the Swiss alps, she fashions a deep look into the behavior of hunger and grazing with essays that glow with the luminous gaze of intense perception.

“The Astonishing Color of After” (Little Brown) by young adult author Emily Pan tells the story of a teenage girl who, following her mother’s suicide, traces her spirit to a bird. She travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents uncovering family secrets and forging new relationships.

“Soap For the Dogs” (Gramma) by Stacey Tran is the refreshing debut book of poetry from this Seattle-based press. Tran’s poetics combine a poetic present tense with a look back towards her parent’s immigrant past that unlocks many stories.

“Where Will I Live?” (Second Story) by UN Ambassador Rosemary McCarney is a photo-based picture book that conveys the danger and resilience of child refugees around the world to young readers.

“A Village With My Name – A Family History of China’s Opening to the World” (University of Chicago) by Scott Tong. Tong went to China to establish an office for American Public Media’s “Marketplace” radio program but along the way found personal ties. He shows us China through the lives and experiences of his extended family in both China and America.

‘Front Desk” (Scholastic) by Kelly Yang is a young adult novel taken from the author’s own growing up. When her family immigrated to the U.S. from China, her family managed a motel in California and tried to assist other immigrants to this new land.

“ Buddhism Illuminated – Manuscript Art from Southeast Asia” (UW Press) by San San May and Jana Igunma. The British Library has one of the richest collections of Buddhist manuscripts from Thailand and Burma. This book illustrates over 100 examples of the Library’s collection.

“Moon Goddess” (Loose Moose) by Niti Sampat Patel tells the story of a young woman whose mother’s death forces her to look into the past and unlock the secrets of Indian folktales told by a grand aunt from her childhood. Patel reads at Elliott Bay Book Company (see listings elsewhere).

“Paper Sons” (Autumn House) by Dickson Lam won the 2017 Autumn House Nonfiction Prize. It combines memoir and cultural history, the quest for an absent father and the struggle for social justice, naming traditions in graffiti and in Chinese culture. Violence marks the story at every turn – from Mao to Malcolm X, from the projects in San Francisco to the lynching of Asians during the California gold rush.

“Go Home!” (Feminist Press) is an anthology of new writing that looks at the theme of home as explored by a variety of Asian American writers. Edited by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan with a foreword by Vet Thanh Nguyen.

“How To American – An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents” (Da Capo) is by Jimmy O. Yang, stand-up comic and actor in the HBO series “Silicon Valley”. This is his memoir of growing up as a Chinese immigrant who pursued a Hollywood career against the wishes of his parents.

“Everything Here is Beautiful” (Pamela Dorman/Viking) is a novel by Mira T. Lee that tells the story of two sisters – physically words apart with distinctly different personalities that still have a unique bond and what happens when one sister travels to save the other.

“Confucius – Great Teacher of China” (Shen’s Books) is the latest picture book by noted children’s book author/illustrator Demi. It chronicles the life of this philosopher whose teachings shaped the beliefs of a whole nation.

“Arranging Marriage – Conjugal Agency in The South Asian Diaspora” (Minnesota) by Marian Aguiar looks at the tradition of arranged marriage historically and geographically and shows how it’s changed over time and according to place.

“How Do I Look?” (Metatron) by Chinese Canadian poet Sennah Yee is a poetry that encompasses whole words in just a few sentences.

“Muncie, India(na)” (University of Illinois) by Himanee Gupta-Carlson looks at middle America from another perspective and wonders what do non-whites, non-Christians and other non-natives mean when they call themselves American. The author reads at Elliott Bay Book Company (see listings elsewhere).

“Ghost Boys” (Mawenzi House) by Shenaaz Nanji. When a fifteen year old boy from a poor family in India ends up at a camel farm in a gulf country, he is put in charge of training camel jockeys, young boys brought from South Asia. Starved and mistreated by masters whose only goal is winning, the boys’ lives are in constant danger. In time our hero hatches a plot to save the boys and himself by winning the Gold Sword Race.

“Postcolonial Biology: Psyche And Flesh After Empire” (Minnesota) by Deepika Bahri looks at how minds and bodies have been shaped by colonial contact and the impact of colonialism on the colonized body.

“The Place Between Breaths” (Caitlyn Dlouhy/Antheneum) by young adult author An Na tells the story of a strong young girl whose life crumbles with the onslaught of a mental illness that runs in the family.

“Jottings Under Lamplight” (Harvard) by Lu Xun is an anthology of essays by this seminal contemporary Chinese writer as edited by Eileen J. Cheng and Kirk A. Denton. It shows his versatility of prose forms and his brilliance as a cultural critic. Includes sixty-two essays, twenty of which are translated for the first time.

“Girls Burn Brighter” (Flatiron) by Shobha Rao is a novel that looks at the deep friendship between two girls in India and how that bond is broken by an act of cruelty When one woman tries to find her long lost friend, it takes her to the darkest corners of India’s underworld all the way to Seattle. She reads at Elliott Bay Book Company (see listings elsewhere).

“Salvage” (Triquaterly/Northwestern University Press) by Cynthia Dewi Oka is a new book of poems by this poet originally from Bali. Her immigrant experience allows her to craft poems that defy history’s dislocation and gives us revealing images of power and elegance.

“Draw The Line” (Roaring Brook) by Kathryn Otoshi. This acclaimed author/illustrator pairs black and white illustrations with splashes of color to create a powerful, multi-layered statement about friendship, boundaries and healing after conflict. Without a line of dialogue, the author provides important life lessons to children.

“The Friend” (Riverhead) by Sigrid Nunez explores friendship and grief in the relationship between a woman and a great dane left to her care by a life-long friend and mentor.

“Under The Skin” (Hatje Cantz) by Chiharu Shiota is the first retrospective exhibition catalogue of this internationally known Japanese installation artist based in Berlin who received world recognition for her 2015 work at the Venice Biennale. To enter her work is to enter another world instantly recognizable yet startlingly strange.

“China – A History in Objects” (Thames & Hudson) by Jessica Harrison-Hall takes the daunting task of unpacking the long history of China and breaks it down to understandable pieces through a detailed look at objects from China’s civilization from the Neolithic age to the present.

“Go In Clean, Come Out Dirty” (Rabbit Fool Press) by Kevin Minh Allen is a second book of poetry by this former Seattle-based poet now on the East Coast. This book is a philosophical exploration of the internal and external halves that comprise our self-identity. This American adoptee poet peers into the legacy of war and resettlement with a sharp and sensitive lens.

News/Opportunities
The TeenTix Press Corps is a free five-week arts-going and criticism practice workshop in partnership with On The Boards. 10 teens will be chosen to work with professional writers and critics. Get one-on-one feedback on your writing. Participants must be able to attend all events and meeting from April 12 – May 13, 2018. HURRY! Deadline is March 23, 2018. Questions? Info@teentix.org or call 206-233-3050. Also if you interested in being a teaching artist for Teen Tix Press Corps workshops, please contact them as well.

Jack Straw announced recipients of their 2018 Artist Support Program Grants. They include the following – Seattle vocalist Srivani Jade for work on “Peace Mantra”, a musical composition for female voices. Nic Masangkay, a spoken word poet Felipinx queer trans disabled survivor to work on “The Park at Dusk”, a project featuring original music and spoken word poetry.

Seattle artist Megumi Shauna Arai is working on an installation entitled “Unnamed Lake” for a group show opening at the Wing in June 2018. She needs volunteers to participate. If interested, go to https://unnamedlake.com/ for details.

Friends of Asian Art Association is an all-volunteer organization that connects its members and the community to educations, cultural and social events tied to Asia and its diverse art forms and culture. Enjoy year-round activities and meet new friends who share similar interests by becoming a member. All are welcome to the activities but members get special discounts and perks. Some upcoming program events include the following –Go to FriendsOfAsianArt.org or call (206) 522-5438 for details on all these events.

Artist Trust offers workshops state-wide and webinar workshops on topics of interest to artists of all genres such as assistance on how to apply for an Artist Trust Fellowship, a Twining Humber Award, resources on how to get to know local arts organizations, cultivating professional relationships, organizing your resume and much more. Artist Trust can be found at 1835 – 12th Ave. in Seattle’s Capitol Hill or go to artisttrust.org for more details.

The Robert Chinn Foundation announced four new inductees for their 2018 Class into their Asian Hall Fame. Kourtney Kang, writer/producer of “Fresh Off The Boat”, Kevin Kan, best-selling author of “Crazy Rich Asians” (soon to be a movie) Melissa Lee, host of CNBC’s “Fast Money” and Roy Yamaguchi, chef/founder of Roy’s. The four will be inducted at a ceremony on May 5, 2018 at Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

“American Muslims: An Anthology of Contemporary Writing” as edited by Kazim Ali will be published by Red Hen Press. Send poetry (5 – 10 poems) or prose (no more than 3,000 words) to Kazim Ali at anthology@redhen.org no later than Sept. 15, 2018.