Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean

Experience a monumental achievement in Southeast Asian art: Cambodia's most significant bronze sculpture—a nearly 20-foot reclining Vishnu—comes to San Francisco for a rare, final exhibition before returning home. Newly restored after international conservation efforts, this thousand-year-old masterpiece depicts the Hindu deity floating in the primordial cosmic ocean, a mythological vision that mirrors the temple's original setting beside an expansive Cambodian reservoir. The Asian Art Museum's presentation weaves together the sculpture's spiritual significance, the role of water in ancient Angkor's power and mythology, and contemporary connections through an evocative film by Cambodian American director praCh Ly. This is your only West Coast opportunity to witness this magnificent bronze artwork in its full grandeur.