Flora and Fauna: Plants and Animals in the Art of Asia

December 21, 2016 - May 14, 2017

Two piles of dead fish and sea creatures

A glorious display of the importance of animals and plants in Asian art,Flora and Fauna will feature a wide variety of art works, including prayer rugs from the Middle East, statues from India, Chinese paintings, and much more. It will also mark the debut of the Ackland’s newly acquired pair of Japanese screens by the painter Kajino Genzan (1868–1939), dazzling with their gold leaf background, exquisite colors, and beautifully rendered flowers.

Flora and Fauna is part of a groundbreaking re-installation of the Ackland Art Museum’s Asian galleries, presenting the Museum’s acclaimed collection of art from across the continent.

Image Credit: Kajino Genzan, Japanese, 1868-1939: Flowers of the Four Seasons (detail), 1920s; ink, pigment, and gofun (white powdered shell) on paper with gold leaf. Each Panel: 66-11/16 x 147-3/8 in. Ackland Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Gift of Mrs. Joseph Palmer Knapp, by exchange, 2016.11.2.1.

Sopheap Pich, Cambodian, born 1971: Rang Phnom Flower No. 5, 2016; bamboo and metal wire. Courtesy of the Artist and Tyler Rollins Fine Art, L2016.13.

Ganho, Japanese, active 1900s:Catch of the Day (detail), c. 1900-1920; mineral pigments on silk. 72 x 71-1/2 in. Ackland Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Gift of Mrs. Joseph Palmer Knapp, by exchange, 2016.16.1.