The golden age of Asian art in New York is far from over. Not only is New York City a purveyor of Asian arts of the past, it is also becoming an important center for the exhibition and collection of Asian and Asian American art created in the 20th century and beyond. The Asia Society and the Japan Society, for example, have presented thrilling shows of modern and contemporary Asian and Asian American art. The groundbreaking exhibitions “Traditions/Tensions: Contemporary Art in Asia,” featuring work by an array of thought-provoking artists from different nations in Asia; “Asia/America: Identities in Contemporary Asian American Art,” an exhibition of work created by artists of Asian descent who reside in the United States; and “Inside Out: New Chinese Art”, an exhibition of contemporary Chinese artists (shown jointly at Asia Society and P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in Long Island City, Queens), were all organized by the Asia Society and have traveled across the nation and around the world. All were considered groundbreaking because they were some of the first high-profile exhibitions of contemporary Asian and Asian American art seen in the United States.

Modern Asian works are much in demand by many other museums. Recently, the Japan Society hosted a show of works by contemporary Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama, whose edgy black-and-white documentary photographs were simultaneously featured in an exhibition at the Met.

One of the most popular modern Asian artists, Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi is a presence all over New York, his graceful sculptures set in tranquil gardens and minimalist galleries. Manhattan alone has a good sampling of Noguchi sculpture, including a brushed aluminum piece at 100 Broadway, and, indoors at 666 Fifth Avenue, a remarkable “waterfall” fashioned of steel and corrugated glass. Noguchi’s works may have found the ultimate environment for their natural forms, however, at the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum in Long Island City, Queens.