In Focus: Asian American Art from the Collection: Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University

In Focus: Asian American Art from the Collection showcases recent acquisitions made through the Cantor’s Asian American Art Initiative (AAAI), offering a glimpse into one of the fastest-growing areas of the museum’s collection.

Many of the works on view are being presented for the first time. Founded in 2018 by Stanford art history professor Marci Kwon and Cantor associate curator of modern and contemporary art Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander, the AAAI is one of the nation's leading museum initiatives dedicated to Asian American art.

What began with approximately 30 works by Asian American artists has grown to more than 800 through acquisitions, exhibitions, publications, archival research, and community collaboration.

Rather than presenting a single definition of Asian American art, In Focus highlights its remarkable breadth. Spanning generations, media, and artistic approaches, the exhibition brings together works by artists of Asian descent working in the United States whose practices reflect a wide range of histories, perspectives, and creative concerns. Featuring works by Pacita Abad, Ching Ho Cheng, Tseng Kwong Chi, Young Joon Kwak, Masami Teraoka, and Rupy C. Tut, among others.