Los Angles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

During my adventure to LACMA in March 2011, while in the Ahmanson Building, I found my way to the South and Southeast Asian Art exhibit. There I saw a magnificent sculpture of the Guatama Buddha, the first Buddha or “awakened one.” It was made from metal in colors of dark gray and orange. When I saw this, I felt very proud to be part of the Buddhist community in the United States.  To see the Buddha displayed so beautifully in a famous museum, caused me to experiences a surge of excitement and happiness.  It was wonderful because my family traditions and religious beliefs were there for others to see and appreciate.   As a devout and practicing Buddhist, this event filled me with great pleasure.

At the Pavilion for Japanese Art, I took a photo of Sumida River, from the series Views of the Famous Sights of Japan, 1897. The images that impressed me most in this picture are the Cherry Blossoms. When I was young, I heard my mom say that the Cherry Blossom is a famous flower in Japan. We have Cherry Blossoms during the Vietnamese New Year too.  We use them to decorate our home during this season as they are very beautiful.  Seeing this painting brought up memories of my childhood in Vietnam, and also reminded me today of my Vietnamese heritage and times of religious celebrations.  Personally I found this picture to represent the delicate style and vibrant colors of Japanese Art.

            When I went to the Hammer Building, I was impressed with the Korean Art.  Korean Art gets me in touch with Asian Culture and makes me want to visit Korea. I took a picture of three statues of Korean kids.  They were called Altar Attendants. One child held a Phoenix, representing heroism and strength; a second child held a book, representing learning; and a third child held a turtle, representing financial luck. When I read the information, it said those three kids brought luck to Korea through their Alter gifts. When I saw these, I felt a kinship to the child that held the book because I too love learning.  Coming to the United States, has been lucky for me because I have more opportunities for learning and growth.

The next building I went to was The Resnick Pavilion Building. It contained European fashions of the past.It made me feel like I was in 18^th century Europe. I took a picture of an antique white fan. It reminded me of my Vietnamese traditions. Vietnamese women always use manual fans instead of electric fans. This fan made me feel like a beautiful Vietnamese princess.

Next I went to the Broad Contemporary Art Museum Building. I took a picture with a large wood sculpture. This sculpture made me feel like I was at the Great Wall in China. The sculpture seemed to go on and on with no exit out. It was impressive. It was a beautiful sculpture that made me feel small and insignificant while next to it.

The last building I went to was Art of the Americas Building. I took a picture of The Flight of Europa, the sculpture of a woman riding a bull, which looks more like a horse to me, made from bronze. The impressive thing about this statue was the bull. Because the bull looks so much like a horse, I was quite moved by its beauty.  The Horse is my Chinese Zodiac. The Horse represents my life and future.  This bronze horse/bull represented to me strength, power, and the ability to carry or support someone. I find these same qualities reflected in me because my parents often call me “horse.”

Overall, I found that I was drawn to and impressed by Asia Art and artists.  Because of my cultural heritage these works of art resonated in my soul. I found them all beautiful in different ways, each piece unique and creative. I found my adventure in LACMA well worth the trip.