Growing and Knowing in the Gardens of China

Abstract

"Growing and Knowing in the Gardens of China" asks: What is a garden, and what can you do with one? Focusing on the gardens of China’s literati during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1912), "Growing and Knowing" illuminates' gardens as transformative spaces—spaces for growing and contemplating plants in order to better understand the world around us as well as our place in it. The exhibition catalogue brings together 23 hanging scrolls, hand scrolls, albums, and books from collections throughout the United States. Together, these artworks showcase Chinese gardens as sites in which scholars hybridized plants, domesticated wild flora, and observed trees and grasses to make sense of the patterns of the cosmos.