For centuries, incising text and images by hand on stacks of dried palm leaves was a dominant way of making books in many parts of South and Southeast Asia. This exhibition looks at new directions in palm leaf work now that printed editions on paper have superseded most of the historical functions of palm leaf manuscripts. Contemporary examples of artworks, manuscripts, and book-like structures from India, Bali, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), and Thailand will explore current practices of palm leaf work, alongside samples of manuscripts from the historical traditions. The works in the exhibition draw upon multiple research trips by Mary Austin and Betsy Davids.
Daily Mon - Sun 10am - 5:30pm
OPENING RECEPTION: Fri, Oct 5th 6pm - 8pm
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RELATED PROGRAMS:
Wed, Dec 11th 6pm - 8pm
Studio In a Suitcase: Conservation With Limited Resources
Karen Zukor of Zukor Art Conservation specializes in the repair and preservation of art and artifacts on paper - prints, drawings, watercolors, pastels, documents, maps, manuscripts, and rare books. This presentation will focus on the paper conservation and preservation work Karen has undertaken in Haiti and India, as well as some of the challenges of working outside of one’s own studio.
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Wed, Jan 15th 6pm - 8pm
Palm Leaf Stories
An evening of storytelling by co-curators Mary Austin and Betsy Davids, drawing upon the time-honored stories told through images in this exhibition's palm leaf work, as well as stories from their travels in
search of this work through India, Bali, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), and Thailand.
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San Francisco Center for the Book
375 Rhode Island Street
San Francisco, CA
37.7653229, -122.4023486
Turning Over An Old Leaf: Contemporary Palm Leaf Work in South and Southeast Asia
