Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

This exhibition presents an international survey of Buddhism and Buddhist art, beginning with the religion’s origins in India and following its spread through mainland and island Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, and East Asia. Incorporating 150 masterpieces of pan-Asian Buddhist art, the exhibition introduces key concepts of Buddhist thought and practice viewed through rare and extraordinarily beautiful Buddhist sculptures, paintings, and ritual objects. Drawn from LACMA’s permanent collection, with several significant loans from private collections, the exhibition explores the life of the Buddha, the role of the bodhisattva, Buddhist cosmology, and key concepts such as dharma, karma, nirvana, mantra, mudra, and mandala.

This exhibition showcases experimental works of modern and contemporary calligraphic art, highlighting innovations in the art form. The exhibition explores the evolution of pictographs, the relationship between content and form, the development of new scripts, and the abstraction of the written word. It is accompanied by a scholarly exhibition catalogue.

Explore the innovative works of artist Cai Guo-Qiang, who utilizes gunpowder and pyrotechnics to create dynamic drawings, paintings, and explosion events. This exhibition delves into the nature and properties of gunpowder, chronicling its use in Cai’s artistic process. Accompanying programs include videos on fireworks creation, interactive displays, and film screenings.

In 2019, Lawson answered more than 1,000 questions in his Story File so that future generations can continue conversing with him to learn about his legacy. What would you like to ask Lawson?

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.,
Thursday, 12:00 noon – 8:00 p.m.
Adults – $16, Seniors and Youth – $9, Members and Children under 5 – Free