Arts and Performances
What's now showing in the East-West Center Gallery, John A. Burns Hall, 1601 East West Road.
Field of Flowers: Mughal Carpets and Treasures
September 21 - December 31, 2008
Presented in cooperation with the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art
In residence September 21 - 26:Master carpet weaver Ayyoob Khan and third-generation carpet atelier owner Sanjay Kalra, both from Agra, India, home of the Taj Mahal.
A pair of rare large carpets on exhibit at the East-West Center Gallery from the collection at Shangri La, in addition to being historically significant markers of an artistic tradition, stand alone as important works of art due to their unusual shape and pairing. Each carpet has an arched interior with pointed ends. When paired, the carpets form a bold field of flowers with an interior void wherein a person, most likely a royal personage, could have sat in splendor.
In mid-17th century Mughal India, the taste for naturalistic floral sprays reached an apogee of artistic expression. The aesthetic style seen in the carpets and other art forms of the period dominated the arts of south Asia from the 17th century to the present and has had an impact on aesthetic traditions of the West and China. Other artworks, inspired by Mughal idioms that include brassware, painting, stonework, woodwork, and textiles, show the continuity of this tradition in contemporary India and Pakistan. Photographs and demonstrations by a rug maker and designer from India augment the presentation.
Special Events: All in the EWC Gallery; admission free
Sunday, October 19, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Arts Forum: "Restoration and Conservation of Duke Mughal Carpets"
by Ann Svenson Perlman, textile conservator, Doris Duke Shangri La Collection
Sunday, November 9, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Illustrated Talk: "Seen Through a Screen: Mughal Art at Doris Duke's Shangri La"
by Sharon Littlefield, curator of the Doris Duke Shangri La Collection
Sunday, December 14, 12:30-4:00 p.m.
Indian Feature Film: Jodhaa Akbar
"Bollywood" extravaganza filmed partially in Agra Fort and depicting the romance between a Hindu princess and the Mughal emperor, Akbar
Gallery info:
East-West Center Gallery
John A. Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Road (corner Dole St. & East-West Rd.)
Gallery hours:
Weekdays: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sundays: Noon-4:00 p.m.
Closed Saturdays and Federal holidays
For further information: 944-7584
http://arts.EastWestCenter.org
Visitor parking on the adjacent UH campus is $3 and is usually easily available on the upper campus after 4 p.m. weekdays; Sunday parking is normally free and ample.
These East-West Center Arts Programs are made possible by generous support from the Hawai`i Pacific Rim Society, Friends of Hawai`i Charities, the Cooke Foundation, Atherton Family Foundation, Jackie Chan Foundation USA, and generous contributors to the EWC Foundation, including members of the EWC Arts `Ohana.
The East-West Center is an education and research organization established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. The Center contributes to a peaceful, prosperous, and just Asia Pacific community by serving as a vigorous hub for cooperative research, education, and dialogue on critical issues of common concern to the Asia Pacific region and the United States. Funding for the Center comes from the U.S. government, with additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and the governments of the region.
For 25 years the EWC Arts Program has enriched the community through concerts, lectures, symposia, and exhibitions focusing on traditional arts of the region, and by arranged cultural and educational tours by artists who are skilled in bridging cultures.
