Arts: News & Insights

Chloe Zhao became the first Asian woman to win an Academy Award for best director on Sunday, crashing through one of Hollywood's toughest barriers with her film "Nomadland."

Arts

China-born Chloe Zhao sought common ground in Oscars speech

Considering 'Nomadland' as art made by humans rather than geopolitical actors

27 April 2021

A still from "Night in Paradise," which premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival last September and has been described as the best Korean gangster film ever made. (Netflix)

Arts

How South Korea became the home of 'noir' film

Asian powerhouse churning out some of finest genre movies ever made

27 April 2021

Chloe Zhao won Academy Awards for best director and best picture with "Nomadland."

Arts

'Nomadland': Chloe Zhao first Asian woman to win best director Oscar

Chinese media snub historic achievement over 2013 remarks on her homeland

26 April 2021

"Minari," directed by Korean American Lee Isaac Chung, follows the Yis, an immigrant family of four, as they move from Los Angeles to rural Arkansas to start a new life on a farm. (Courtesy of A24)

Arts

Oscar-nominated 'Minari' upends Asian immigrant stereotypes

Actress Esther Moon on playing Mrs. Oh, a Korean immigrant who finds peace in rural America

25 April 2021

Prem M. Nath's horror films always add a flair of South Indian and Tamil religion and rituals that make them unique among other Southeast Asian horror movies. (Courtesy of Kuman Pictures)

Arts

'Haunted' hotel sheds light on Malaysia heritage neglect

Abandoned colonial building stars in popular new 'found-footage' horror film

21 April 2021

Asia Insight

Hong Kong's security law sends chill through arts community

Political pressure undermines city's position as regional culture hub

20 April 2021

Art conservator Tsai Shun-jen carries out restoration work in a Taiwanese temple. He returned to Taiwan in 2012 after being trained in art restoration in Italy. (Courtesy of TSJ Art Restoration)

Arts

Uffizi art conservator brushes up Taiwan's temples

Western expertise draws attention to cultural value of temple paintings

19 April 2021

Netflix has partnered with WIT Studio, original producers of "Attack on Titan," and Tokyo's Sasayuri Video Training Institute to launch a scholarship-only anime school in Japan.

Arts

Netflix-sponsored anime school goes back to basics

New training academy for budding anime artists is surprisingly old school in its goals

6 April 2021

The Woo Min-ho-directed “The Man Standing Next” is set around the 1979 assassination of South Korean President Park Chung-hee.

Arts

Politics take center stage in popular South Korean films

Cinema comes of age as country becomes more liberal

4 April 2021

Taking a cold shower at "Ephemeral Solidified Light" after the sauna, while enjoying being part of the artwork. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)

Arts

Cool art in a hot sauna

Japan's teamLab creates unique exhibition space

1 April 2021

The Shiroiya Hotel in Maebashi, in Gunma Prefecture, combines architectural innovation, art and fine dining.

Arts

Shuttered Japanese inn reopens as modern art masterpiece

Sleepy Maebashi wakes up to renewal efforts centered on historic site

27 March 2021

Indonesian jazz legend Idang Rasjidi performs at the Mahakam Jazz Fiesta, in Samarinda, East Kalimantan. (Courtesy of Agus Setiawan Basuni/WartaJazz.com)

Arts

Indonesia's jazz giant -- still cool and still playing

Idang Rasjidi's youthful rebellion launched a musical revolution

26 March 2021

A still image from 2019 Indonesian horror film "Perempuan Tanah Jahanam." Directed by Joko Anwar, it was released internationally as "Impetigore." (Courtesy of Joko Anwar)

Arts

New wave of horror flicks puts Indonesian cinema on map

After years in the shadows, the genre makes a monstrous breakthrough in Southeast Asia

24 March 2021

An assortment of clothing made using washi, or Japanese paper. The material is being lauded for its odor-fighting, eco-friendly and other beneficial properties, but high costs have hindered its spread. (Courtesy of ITOI LSR Co., Ltd.)

Arts

'Miracle' natural fabric makes a comeback in Japan

Centuries-old 'washi' paper reemerges as a sustainable source of clothing

19 March 2021

The sound and the fury: "We were young and idealistic and wanted to make a difference," says Soundscape Records founder Mak Wai Hoo of the early days of the Chinese Malaysian rock movement that he helped create. (Courtesy of Mak Wai Hoo/Soundscape Records)

Arts

Ethnic-Chinese Malaysian label keeps 'pop rebels' ablaze

Two decades on, Soundscape Records rocks on in Malaysia, despite COVID-19

12 March 2021

Risa Oribe, aka LiSA, is behind the hit songs for Sony's "Demon Slayer" franchise. (Photo by Hajime Kamiiisaka)

Media & Entertainment

Sony sounds out overseas markets with Japanese anime songs

Group taps vast entertainment network to pump homegrown hits

7 March 2021

More than 230,000 visitors have poured through the doors of the Australian Museum in Sydney since it reopened after a 15-month revamp on Nov. 28, double the rate before it closed. (Photo by Geoff Hiscock)

Arts

Visitor numbers soar after $45 million Sydney museum revamp

Australians flock to Tyrannosaurs exhibition despite pandemic

5 March 2021

"Why shouldn't a Chinese female author write about the British elite, including their sexual habits?" says Chinese-born novelist Hong Ying. "A writer is a writer, and there should be no distinction between genders.” (Courtesy of Hong Ying)

Arts

Acclaimed Chinese-born writer tackles feminism and sex

From Chinese slums to London's literary circles, Hong Ying's themes remain universal

3 March 2021

Members of the cast of "Minari," which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, are seen in a still image. Pictured are  Steven Yeun, front, Alan S. Kim, back-left, Noel Cho, back-center, and Yeri Han, back-right. (Photo by David Bornfriend, Courtesy of A24)

Arts

'Minari' wins Golden Globe with new take on immigrant tale

Tender Asian American film focuses on relationships to humanize well-trod narrative

3 March 2021

Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro's eighth novel "Klara and the Sun," tells the story of Klara, a solar-powered AI humanoid robot, who was bought as a companion for a 14-year-old girl. (File photo by Akiyoshi Inoue)

Arts

Kazuo Ishiguro confronts basic questions about humanity and technology

In his new novel, Nobel laureate posits how AI will change our relationships

2 March 2021

Drawing as much on Allen Ginsberg as Salman Rushdie, Pakistani author H.M. Naqvi writes in the voice of a proudly dualistic citizen of the world, who cut his literary teeth not on Chaucer but on spontaneous slam poetry rapping sessions. (Courtesy of Abbas Agha)

Arts

For H.M. Naqvi, COVID-19 is a creative spur

Acclaimed Pakistani author pledges urgent completion of new work

26 February 2021

Conquering Alzheimer's Disease by Japanese journalist Susumu Shimoyama is a story of hope in the global fight against the debilitating brain disease. (Source photos by AP)

Arts

BOOKS: New book chronicles four-decade fight against Alzheimer's

Japan's Susumu Shimoyama brings scientific development of latest drug to life

25 February 2021

Kuala Lumpur-based band Margasatwa repurposes the golden age of Malay and Indonesian Western-inspired rock music of the 1960s and 1970s, infusing it with a profound ethnic awareness. (Courtesy of Levi's Music Project)

Arts

Innovative music takes off in Maritime Southeast Asia

Musicians are returning to their roots to create a new regional genre

24 February 2021

Life & Arts

Ai Weiwei: 'Any artwork, if it's relevant, is political'

Artist to publish autobiography recording a century of 'China's intellectual struggle'

20 February 2021

Taiwan's "A Sun" scooped up six Golden Horse awards last year.

Arts

Spotlight on Asian films at Oscars after Parasite's wins last year

Critics see Taiwan's 'A Sun' and India's 'Jallikattu' making Feb. 9 shortlist

7 February 2021