Asian art is alive with complexity and simplification, meditative reflection and ecstatic devotion, and a sublime perspective on what people in ancient times called the “dusty world.” See how it all comes together in the balance of complementary opposites, vibrant global trade, poetry made visual, technology in service to nature, stories of the Buddha, annual festivals still celebrated around the world—including in Boston—and more.

The MFA’s comprehensive and diverse collection of Asian art features everything from the earliest accomplishments to contemporary innovations. In this Looking together, explore promising young artists, a serene bodhisattva from the Chinese Song dynasty, the geometries of Islamic culture, inlaid ceramics of Korea, and Tenshin-en— the Japanese “Garden of the Heart of Heaven.”

Martha Wright, adjunct instructor