Question the Harmonious: Chinese Art and Design from Antiquity to the Present

“To know the harmonious is called the eternal. To know the eternal is called enlightenment.” The inscription attributed to the ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi on the left side of the JSMA entrance has greeted museum visitors since the 1930s. Yet what is the harmonious when we look at art? Does harmony represent an inherent aesthetic quality or is it a constructed social code imposed by politics?

Inspired by JSMA’s own connection with China, this exhibition proposes to look at harmony not as a fixed norm, but as a shifting and contested concept. It explores how harmony has been conceptualized, visualized, and politicized in Chinese art and design. Drawing from the museum’s rich collection, this exhibition shows art and design from different historical periods and in diverse media, such as prints, textiles, and contemporary paintings. It invites the viewers to question the complex relationship between harmony and dissonance.

This exhibition is organized by JSMA Curator of Contemporary and Traditional Chinese art Yan Geng in collaboration with Professor Ina Asim (Department of History, University of Oregon) and Professor Charlene Liu (Department of Art, University of Oregon).