Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage
These stories highlight the breadth of artistic achievement in the AAPI community.
Join The Met in celebrating the history, culture, and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) who have contributed to the arts. From a short documentary on Isamu Noguchi to a conversation on art and activism, these stories highlight the breadth of achievement and the wide-ranging interests of the AAPI community.
Isamu Noguchi's Water Stone (1986)
Water flows over this stone fountain almost invisibly. The fountain, created especially for this space, is one of the last sculptures by Isamu Noguchi, the American-born sculptor and designer.
Noguchi made the work in Japan: the light stones in the fountain bed come from the Isuzu River—which flows near Ise Shrine, one of the most sacred Shinto sites—while the dark basalt stone that forms the fountain itself is also from Japan.
Water Stone (1986) by Isamu NoguchiThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
The fountain and its setting form an abstract garden that evokes the close relationship between interior and exterior space. The wood screen (whose construction was approved by Noguchi) is an architectural convention dating back to the seventeenth century, whereby an interior view is focused on a specific frame of a garden.
In Japan, gardens often contain a stone basin to collect water, conveyed through a bamboo pipe from a nearby mountain stream. But here, the water emerges from the depths of the rock, uniting the disparate elements of water and stone.
From Mind to Mural
How can encountering art in communal spaces be a powerful tool for public health?
In this episode of Frame of Mind, meet multidisciplinary artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, who reclaims urban areas to uplift underrepresented communities.
We Belong Here
"So if you were to look at my art, the main themes center around feminism and justice and science. I think what connects these together are that they aren't necessarily what's openly supported or celebrated in our society."
From Mind to Mural | Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya
Mending Hope
In this episode of Frame of Mind, Textile Conservator Kisook Suh talks about how taking care of medieval tapestries offers personal solace and hope, as well as a connection to her community.
The Falcon's Bath (ca. 1400–1415)
"My first tapestry project I took on was ten years ago. And overwhelming, absolutely overwhelming! It’s a vivid memory though. It was a Falcon’s Bath tapestry, from the Cloisters collection..."
Mending Hope | Kisook Suh
Chinatown's Art and Activism—Then and Now | MetSpeaks
In this conversation between artists Tomie Arai and Mei Lum, learn about the relationship between art and activism in Manhattan's Chinatown.
Home is a Foreign Place (1999)
Join a Met curator to explore Home Is a Foreign Place, a suite of 36 woodcut prints on handmade paper by the artist Zarina. The series explores memory and home through an evocative combination of text and image.
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