Into the Waters with Senju and Bingyi: Two Contemporary Paintings

Into the Waters with Senju and Bingyi: Two Contemporary Paintings is an exhibition at the National Museum of Asian Art that presents two monumental works by contemporary artists Hiroshi Senju and Bingyi, both centering on water not merely as a subject but as a method, material, and philosophy. Senju reconfigures traditional Japanese painting techniques into abstract, idealized waterfalls, while Bingyi channels raw nature through historical Chinese ink painting and philosophy, often painting outdoors. Across three hanging scrolls, Bingyi’s painting layers splashed ink and the effects of sea breeze alongside careful brushwork to conjure a whorl of water and petals; Senju’s folding screens recall the dripping ceramic glazes and waterfall prints in the museum’s collections. Together, the works invite visitors to contemplate how nature can be both permanent and vulnerable, how water nurtures and destroys, and what beauty and mystery lie in the resources we rely on.

When: April 2–September 27, 2026.
Location: East Building, Gallery 25, National Museum of Asian Art.
Collection Area: Chinese Art, Contemporary Art, Japanese Art.
About the Paintings: Senju’s folding screens use fluid vertical streaks of white on a muted blue background to evoke the cascade of a waterfall, the flow suggesting the passage of time itself. Bingyi’s scrolls incorporate bold, splashed ink, feathery textures, and subtle grays that conjure a whorl of water and petals; the work began before the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects themes of time, memory, survival, and creativity.
Videos: The exhibition page includes two video resources. “Artists in Dialogue: Hiroshi Senju and Bingyi” offers a bilingual conversation in which the artists describe their practices, inspirations from Japanese and Chinese art, and how they see themselves in conversation with each other and the museum. A descriptive transcript of the dialogue is available for accessibility. A second video, “Artist Talk: Hiroshi Senju,” features the artist discussing his artistic process; this talk was given on April 2, 2026, followed by a conversation with Curator of Japanese Art Frank Feltens and an audience Q&A.
Note: On opening day, April 2, 2026, a special artist talk by Hiroshi Senju was held, copresented by Japan House LA, followed by a conversation and audience Q&A with curator Frank Feltens.
Accessibility: The full exhibition text from the walls and cases is available online, with options to resize the text or use a screen reader. A descriptive transcript of the “Artists in Dialogue” video is also provided.