Past exhibitions

Desmond Lazaro The Sea of Untold Stories II 2019 (detail), Art Gallery of New South Wales. Lawrence Hinchliffe Bequest Fund 2019 © Desmond Lazaro

…in one drop of water are found the secrets of all the endless oceans
― Kahlil Gibran

Drawing on rich and diverse works of art, primarily from the Gallery’s collection, this exhibition explores the poetic, symbolic and social significance of water in Asian art.

In One Drop of Water is divided into four main themes: ‘Migration and movements’ looks at the ideas of relocation and people travelling over water to find new lands or new homes; ‘Oceans’ considers both the visual power of water and its role in economic survival; ‘Rivers and streams’ addresses stories about rivers and their systems, which have significantly changed in the modern era; and ‘Life in water’ explores the natural world. The exhibition features historical ceramics, paintings, lacquer and woodblock prints from across Asia alongside contemporary works.

Contemporary artists in the exhibition include Sojung Jun (South Korea) whose work is presented with the support of the Korea Cultural Centre Australia; Desmond Lazaro (UK/India); Khadim Ali (Pakistan/Australia); Monira Al Qadiri (Senegal/Kuwait); Fang Lijun (China); Guan Wei (China/Australia); Khvay Samnang (Cambodia); Michiko Kon (Japan) and Julian Opie (UK), as well as a changeover of works from Ah Xian (China/Australia); Felicia Kan (Hong Kong/Australia, b1966); and John Young (Hong Kong/Australia) – on display from 14 December 2019.

For families, there are also children’s labels and an activity sheet with ideas for creating your own art at home.