TOKYO

“Undressing Paintings: Japanese Nudes 1880-1945” at the National Museum of Modern Art, 3-1 Kitanomaru-koen, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Through January 15

Despite a rich history of the representation of the nude in art history, its appearance in Japanese art has been fairly recent. This exhibition focuses on Japanese artists's perspective on the nude through the presentation of 100 oil paintings.

SHANGHAI

Chen Man at MOCA Shanghai, People’s Park, 231 Nanjing West Road, Shanghai, Through February 7 

In her largest solo exhibition in China to date, photographer Chen Man will display new works in a series based on the Buddhist idea of the “six dusts”: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and idea.

ATHENS

Layet Johnson at Ciné, 234 West Hancock Ave., Athens, Georgia, Opening December 16 

Arkansas-based artist Layet Johnson, who was recently featured in Modern Painters’s December issue “100 Artists To Watch” presents “Marcus” at Ciné in Athens, Georgia. The show will be comprised of 15 Rothko-inspired drawings and 10 sculptures completed during a recent residency in Iowa.

SAN FRANCISCO

Tara Tucker’s “If Wishes Were Horses…” at Rena Bransten Gallery, 77 Geary St., San Francisco, Opening December 15

Tara Tucker’s impeccable graphite drawings enliven the walls of Rena Bransten with a menagerie of natural creatures. Pieces like “Spat (Two Old Forest Rams)” and “Spring Time With Ferns” mix Tucker’s zoo of friendly creatures with flora and fauna.

NORTH ADAMS

Katharina Grosse “One Floor Up More Highly” at MASS MoCA, 87 Marshall St., North Adams, Massachusetts, Through January 1

Mountains of multi-colored earth and stark white undulating peaks of Styrofoam create an otherworldly landscape at MASS MoCA. Grosse’s installations, which will run just until the start of the new year, stretch floor to ceiling, bringing to mind an intergalactic journey. 

STOWE

“Epic: Original art of Dogtown and Custom Decks of Iconic Artists of Our Time” presented by Ghettogloss, at Darkside, 2160 Mountain Rd., Stowe, Vermont, Ongoing

The street kings of Dogtown, who have dominated the skate world for years, give the art world a treat with original deck designs. Skateboards have also been contributred by art icons Shepard Fairey and Tommy Chong, who pay homage to the medium.

BEIJING

Zhan Wang’s “My Personal Universe” at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, 798 Art District, No. 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Beijing, Through February 25

Over 5,000 stainless steel replicas of stone fragments produced during the making of Zhan Wang’s film “My Personal Universe” float in the gallery space, echoing the multiple projections of actual rocks being blown apart displayed on the walls. 

BILBAO

Constantin Brancusi and Richard Serra at Guggenheim Bilbao, Avenida Abandoibarra, Bilbao, Through January 25

Two sculptural giants share gallery space at Gehry’s silver cathedral of art in Bilbao. As Serra was greatly influenced by Brancusi’s work seen in his reconstructed workshop in Paris, it is only fitting that the two artists be shown together, exploring the potential of sculptural form.

LONDON

Anselm Kiefer’s “Il Mistero delle Cattedrali” at White Cube Bermondsey, 144-152 Bermondsey St., London, Through February 26

In the largest exhibition of Anselm Keifer’s work in London yet, 11,000 square feet of gallery space will be filled with the artist's alchemical works on canvas and large-scale sculptures.