Upper Level Galleries
July 26, 2025
— January 11, 2026
Spirit House
investigates how contemporary artists of Asian descent challenge the boundary between life and death through art. A thematic exploration of the work of thirty-four Asian American and Asian diasporic artists, Spirit House
asks the question, what does it mean to speak to ghosts, inhabit haunted spaces, be reincarnated, or enter different dimensions? Inspired by spirit houses, small devotional structures found throughout Thailand that provide shelter for the supernatural, this exhibition considers how art can bridge the gap between this world and the next.
Through the work in the exhibition, contemporary artists connect fragmented family narratives shaped by war, migration, and generational trauma to broader global contexts, creating new narratives that transform their difficult origins. With these artists as guides, Spirit House invites you to commune with your ancestors, reflect on significant memories, and journey through time and space.
Participating artists include: Kelly Akashi, Korakrit Arunanondchai, James Clar, Maia Cruz Palileo, Binh Danh, Dominique Fung, Pao Hua Her, Greg Ito, Tommy Kha, Heesoo Kwon, Timothy Lai, An-My Lê, Dinh Q. Lê, Kang Seung Lee, Tidawhitney Lek, Jarod Lew, Reagan Louie, Cathy Lu, Nina Molloy, Tammy Nguyen, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Cato Ouyang, Namita Paul, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, Kour Pour, Jiab Prachakul, Stephanie H. Shih, Do Ho Suh, Masami Teraoka, Salman Toor, Lien Truong, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Christine Wong Yap, and Wanxin Zhang.
Visitor Advisory: This exhibition includes a film that contains graphic imagery, scenes of state-sanctioned violence, flashing lights, and sudden loud noises.
CREDITS
Spirit House is organized by the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University as part of the museum’s Asian American Art Initiative (AAAI). The exhibition is curated by Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander, Ph.D., the Robert M. and Ruth L. Halperin Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art and Co-Director of the AAAI, with Kathryn Cua, Curatorial Assistant for the AAAI. The Cantor gratefully acknowledges lead support provided by Pamela and David Hornik, and Aey Phanachet and Roger Evans.
Lead support for the presentation at the Henry is provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation and in part through the generous support of 4Culture and ArtsFund.
![<p><em>Spirit House</em>
[Installation view, Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle. 2025]. Photo: Jueqian Fang. </p>](https://henryart.org/assets/img/_smallImage/Henry-20250729-298.jpg)
![<p>James Clar (U.S., b. 1979). Nobody’s Home (Manila). 2020. Wooden door, LED lights, microcontroller. Courtesy of the artist and Silverlens, Manila and New York. [Installation view, <em>Spirit House,</em> Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle. 2025]. Photo: Jueqian Fang. </p>](https://henryart.org/assets/img/_smallImage/Henry-20250729-369.jpg)
