Intricate Exhibits and their History

Evening presentation
Registration 6:45pm
Discussion 7:00pm
Close 8:00pm

While the Mari-Cha Lion possesses a fascinating and mysterious history of which has been discussed and debated for the last two decades, this evening presentation will take an intricate look into the assembly of pieces that accompany the lion in the Roaring Guardians exhibition here at the Asia Society Hong Kong. Executive Director and Asia Global Head of Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art at Bonhams Edward Wilkinson will provide a narrative of the history and significance on an assortment of the exhibits with a particular focus on the Hindu pieces and the reoccurring lion motif, while HKU Visiting Assistant Professor Kathleen Wyma will chair the conversation and apply her expertise on contemporary art to provide a paralleled perspective on the exhibits and their place in the exhibition.

We invite you to use this evening program as an opportunity to come and explore the exhibition and discover the significance of its exhibits before it concludes on Sunday, February 19.

Edward Wilkinson serves as Executive Director, Asia Global Head – Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art, Bonhams. A leading specialist in the field, he is responsible for auction sales in New York and Asia, and is based in Hong Kong. Since 2000 he has been directly involved in the field, and working with Sotheby’s, New York (2000-2003) and as an independent appraiser and consultant from 2003-2011 in Los Angeles, where he served as Chair of the Southern Asian Arts Council at LACMA. In 2011 he established Bonhams sales of Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art and has established numerous records for Tibetan and Indian art.

Kathleen Wyma is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Hong Kong where she teaches courses on modern and contemporary art. Her research focuses on post 1945 Indian art and she has curated a number of contemporary art exhibitions in India: Zakkir Hussain: Recent Work (2004), The Material Point: Reconsidering the Medium in the (Post)modern Moment (2013), Contemporary Contingencies (2014), Reviving the Retinal (2015).

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