Bamboo

Enjoy the tranquil serenity of a Japanese bamboo forest in Tateuchi Gallery, currently featuring a selection of Edo period (1615–1868) paintings of bamboo (accompanied by a few feline friends). In Japan, bamboo forests are a popular destination for ‘forest-bathing’ (shinrin-yoku); walking through them has been shown to reduce stress and improve mood.

Bamboo has long been a favorite subject among painters in East Asia. Its flexible strength is often used to symbolize a personality that bends with strong winds but does not break, offering a timely example of endurance through challenges and change.

Top image: Tiger and bamboo, by Asami Kojo (Japanese, 1890 – 1974). ink and colors on silk. Asian Art Museum, Gift of Betty and Bruce Alberts, F2011.41. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Lower image: Installation view of the Tateuchi Japanese Galleries at the Asian Art Museum. Photo by David L. Armstrong.