Harmonic medley of Asian art at YUAG

COURTESY YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY Pikachu ain't got nothin' on Du Yan.

Figures and Landscapes in Asian Art provides a revealing peek into the aesthetic lives of Asian peoples with its fusion of ancient and modern art. The pieces on display lead you seamlessly through the ages, walking you from antiquity to the present.

The layout of the gallery is strikingly open, with wooden floors complemented by soft lighting and a low ceiling framing the whole room from above. Much of the art is arranged around the perimeter of the gallery, which allows the statues on display to throw their shadows against the walls. This effect creates a wonderful interplay of light and dark. The remaining pieces are presented on freestanding partitions throughout the central part of the room, giving even the layout an Eastern flavor. As you enter the gallery, the visual corridor that unfolds reveals just enough of the artwork to entice, but still creates a sense of mystery as it leads both eye and foot onward.

The gallery is filled with a remarkable variety of pieces that are designed for both aesthetic and functional uses. Objects as varied as vases, steles, woodblock prints, desk implements, and primitive burners greet you as you progress through the exhibit. Although the artwork ranges from the primitive to the modern, from the ornamented to the stark, from the functional to the purely decorative, a common thread ties all of the pieces together. Each of the individual works tells a part of the story that is the artistic history of Asia. Together they form a vivid tableau of color, shape, and culture.

As you move past the initial pieces in the entryway to the gallery, a bold use of color creates a dynamic line of sight. The light falls on a small, bronze finial whose patina radiates a friendly green glow. The piece is wonderfully anthropomorphic, reminiscent of an owl gazing from eyes overshadowed by large tufts of hair. The green of its face complements the vibrant orange coat of a soldier statue beyond it.

Across from the soldier lies a case containing two pillows from ancient China. But don't expect to encounter the welcoming, down-filled cushions of today; these pillows are crafted of stoneware. The pillow to the left, which dates back to the Northern Song Dynasty, looks more like a casserole that you might find in your mother's kitchen than something thrown carelessly onto a bed.

From the functional you return quickly to the artistic. In the back of the gallery, a collection of hanging scrolls captures the eye with color and intricate brushwork. Most portray sweeping landscapes, but one breaks free from the traditional. "Watching Clouds" by Shen Zhou, ink on paper in muted shades of gray, is much more abstract than the other scrolls in the exhibit. Half the work is dominated by free-form clouds, while the other half consists of a blank stretch of sky punctuated by a single, diminutive figure in the bottom corner. The scroll powerfully suggests the smallness of man in comparison to nature's expanse.

As you move from the scrolls around the far end of the gallery, your eye immediately encounters a modern, organic Japanese sculpture crafted by Fukami Sueharu. This piece, an undulating sweep of porcelain finished with a translucent green glaze, captures the dynamic motion of the untamed sea. Its clean edges catch the light and its simplicity of form proves more riveting than the most intricate ornamentation.

The combined effect of the Asian art presented in the exhibit is to instill in you a remarkable sense of calm and harmony. As you exit the gallery, a gilded statue of a Bodhisattva from the Jin Dynasty bids you farewell. You leave with a sense of roundness and completion, satisfied with the scope and variety reflected in the pieces on display. The artwork draws you into its silent contemplation, then gently releases you back into New Haven's bustle armed with a pervading sense of peace.

Back to A&E...