Ring in the Chinese New Year at the Royal Ontario Museum with an Original Exhibition of Rare Ancestral Portraits and Popular Prints

TORONTO, January 8, 2019 — The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is pleased to present the ROM-original exhibition Gods in my Home: Chinese New Year with Ancestor Portraits and Deity Prints. Drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition features a selection of ancestral portrait paintings and popular prints that traditionally were part of Lunar New Year observances and celebrations in Chinese households. Opening on January 26, 2019 to coincide with the widely-celebrated holiday, Gods in My Home explores the connections between the domestic, material and spiritual life of Chinese society.

“The ROM is known for its ability to showcase important works throughout history that attract visitors and build on the reputation of our province’s tourism and culture sectors,” said Michael Tibollo, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. ”The Lunar New Year brings excitement and new opportunity. I encourage everyone to discover Gods in My Home and all the unique objects, displays and exhibitions it has to offer.”

In traditional Chinese culture, celebrating the New Year was not only a time to worship gods and divinities, it was also a time to commemorate family lineage. The exhibition includes nine large ancestor portraits, commissioned by prosperous families, as well as printed ancestral scrolls that were more affordable. The popular print pieces, created on ordinary paper and pasted on walls and doors, served as religious talismans to ward off evil spirits and bless the family home. Many of these prints were considered common objects when first collected by the ROM in the early 1900s, and are now considered important cultural objects that illuminate the domestic beliefs and famly values inherent in Chinese life.

“Worshipping ancestors and gods at home is not unique to Chinese culture. Even today, people maintain certain visual forms for commemorating their ancestors and communicating with spiritual beings in private spaces,” says Dr. Wen-chien Cheng, ROM co-curator of the exhibit. “In addition to appreciating and understanding the cultural specifics and artistic qualities of these images, we hope that ROM visitors can relate to the ideas behind them in their own lives.”

The exhibition is accompanied by a full-colour illustrated catalogue published by the ROM. The publication is generously supported by the Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust. For more information, visit https://www.rom.on.ca/en/collections-research/books-magazine/rom-books

Gods in my Home is on display on Level 4, Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles and Costumes, and included with Museum admission. ROM Members can enjoy an exclusive exhibition preview, taking place on Friday, January 25, 2019. For more information on ROM Memberships visit www.rom.on.ca/members or call 416.586.5700.

ROM SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @romtoronto
Facebook: @royalontariomuseum
Twitter: @ROMtoronto

ABOUT THE ROM
Founded in 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum showcases art, culture and nature from around the world and across the ages. Among the top 10 cultural institutions in North America, Canada’s largest and most comprehensive museum is home to a world-class collection of 13 million art objects and natural history specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces. As the country’s preeminent field research institute and an international leader in new and original findings, the ROM plays a vital role in advancing our understanding of the artistic, cultural and natural world. Combining its original heritage architecture with the contemporary Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, the ROM serves as a national landmark, and a dynamic cultural destination in the heart of Toronto for all to enjoy.