While grabbing a paleta with my daughter at S. 4th and Santa Clara Streets, I stopped to gaze at the front door of a new Downtown San Jose gallery. Curator Shu Jianhua ran to unlock the door and invited the unrecognized visitors in, eager to share downtown’s latest cultural gem. He paused at an enormous ceramic pumpkin at the entrance to struggle with its lid and offer us some Halloween candy.
The Silicon Valley Asian Art Center recently expanded from its location in Santa Clara, where it’s tucked away inside Central Computers, the last place to get a geek fix since Quement Electronics and Fry’s Electronics closed.
Hiding in plain sight across from a Chevron station was the opening exhibit: “Zheng Chongbin: The Field of Shui Mo.” The internationally acclaimed artist’s work is on view through November 17, 2025.
Zheng Chongbin is usually displayed in palazzos along Venice’s Grand Canal, or at the Shanghai Biennale, or at LACMA or the British Museum. But here in Northern California’s largest city, 16 of his works are beautifully illuminated in a gallery wedged between Paleta Planeta and some smoke shops, a barber and a cannoli bakery, on the walls of a historic building that will be torn down soon for a highrise. That’s why I love San Jose.
“The choice of Zheng Chongbin as the inaugural artist for our new space was a natural one,” Jianhua said. “He is one of the most representative Chinese ink artists on the international stage, following in the footsteps of masters like Zhang Daqian and Liu Guosong, and has been a subject of our long-term collaboration and research.”
The exhibition features 16 works that trace the artist’s creative journey over the past 15 years, encompassing painting, video and monoprints. The monumental 2012 work, “Chimeric Landscape,” measures 6 x 24 feet and is the show’s centerpiece. This marks the first time a U.S. gallery has displayed Chimeric Landscape.
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Exhibition Details:
• Title: Zheng Chongbin: The Field Of Shui Mo (鄭重賓：水壁的場域)
• Dates: October 17–November 17, 2025
• Venue: Silicon Valley Asian Art Center
• Address: 150 E Santa Clara St., Suite B, San Jose, CA 95113
