Utagawa Hiroshige II 二代目 歌川広重

The loss of biodiversity is something we all live with today. The Japanese red-crested crane, shown in the print at left, is currently listed as an endangered species. Once abundant on the Japanese archipelago, these birds became popular hunting targets in the late 1800s, when firearms became widely available in Japan. After red-crested cranes were given legal protection in Japan in 1935, their numbers have gradually increased. Hiroshige’s depiction of these birds soaring toward the rising sun poignantly reminds us of the importance of wildlife conservation.

Hong’s piece, inspired by Japanese prints, initially appears to be only tragic—the trees cut down, the birds without their habitat, the air filled with smoke. Upon closer inspection, the wisps coming out of the tree trunks represent spirits and the roots of the trees are blooming, all giving hope to the rise of new life.

–Wai Yee Chiong, associate curator of Asian art, and Brianna Turner, conservation assistant