Thursday, July 29
1:00–2:00 p.m. PT
Speaker: Phillip Bloom, June and Simon K.C. Li Curator of the Chinese Garden and Director of the Center for East Asian Garden Studies at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Liu Fang Yuan (the Garden of Flowing Fragrance) located on the grounds of the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California is arguably the finest Suzhou-style scholar’s garden outside of China. In the fall of 2020, the garden celebrated the opening of several new features, including a dramatic courtyard for the display of penjing (miniature trees similar to bonsai), intricate pavilions, and winding corridors. As the pandemic is gradually tamed, an art gallery and scholar’s studio will soon open to the public, as well. This lecture will introduce the garden’s new features and elucidate the insights that they provide into Chinese garden history.
Phillip E. Bloom is the June and Simon K.C. Li Curator of the Chinese Garden and director of the Center for East Asian Garden Studies at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. A specialist in Buddhist art, ritual, and landscape design of the Song dynasty, he received his Ph.D. in art history from Harvard University in 2013. Prior to moving to The Huntington in 2017, he was assistant professor of East Asian art history at Indiana University, Bloomington. His publications have appeared in The Art Bulletin, Archives of Asian Art, Orientations, and edited volumes in English, Chinese, and Japanese. Since joining The Huntington as a curator, he has helped in overseeing the recent expansion of the Chinese Garden, including the creation of a small art gallery; his first exhibition, “A Garden of Words: The Calligraphy of Liu Fang Yuan” will open there this fall.
Please reserve your spot by clicking on this link. All participants will be sent the Zoom link and instructions via email once you secure your place. Space is limited.
Sponsored by the Asian Arts Council.
Featured: Liu Fang Yuan 流芳園, or the Garden of Flowing Fragrance, at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
