Asian Art Federation

Asian Art Resources, Heritage, and the Long Work of Understanding

About

The Asian Art Federation is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization registered under the name Federation of Asian Art and Culture Inc. It serves as an independent cultural and research platform dedicated to the study, preservation, and cultural interpretation of Asian artistic traditions. Founded to encourage serious engagement with the intellectual and artistic heritage of Asia, AAF brings together scholars, artists, museum professionals, and cultural institutions through research, dialogue, and public programming. Based in New York, the Federation serves as a meeting point where scholarship, preservation, and cultural understanding converge — across disciplines, institutions, and generations.

AAF is guided by the conviction that Asian art is not simply a matter of aesthetic appreciation. It is a record of intellectual history, spiritual practice, literary culture, and social transmission. This work deserves sustained scholarly attention, careful documentation, and meaningful public dialogue.

Our History

The Asian Art Federation was established in New York in recognition of a growing need: a dedicated, independent platform where the study and preservation of Asian artistic traditions could be pursued with rigor, depth, and long-term commitment.

From its founding, AAF has operated at the intersection of scholarship and cultural stewardship. The Federation began by organizing focused research seminars that brought together scholars and museum professionals to examine specific traditions within Asian art — beginning with Chinese calligraphy and manuscript culture. These early programs established the character of AAF’s work: serious, careful, and grounded in close engagement with historical materials and scholarly method.

Over time, AAF has expanded its scope to support preservation initiatives, publications, public lectures, and institutional partnerships. The Federation remains independent, allowing it to pursue its mission on its own terms — in service of scholarship and cultural heritage rather than commercial interest.

Today, AAF continues to develop research programs, build partnerships with universities, museums, and archives, and create pathways for public engagement with Asian artistic traditions. The work is ongoing. The field is wide. And the need for this kind of platform remains as relevant as ever.

Core values

Rigor

We believe serious scholarship requires sustained attention, deep engagement, and a commitment to examining evidence carefully before drawing conclusions.

Respect

We approach Asian artistic traditions with cultural sensitivity and intellectual humility, honoring the depth and complexity of the histories we study.

Openness

We welcome interdisciplinary perspectives, institutional collaboration, and dialogue across different scholarly traditions and methodologies.

Stewardship

We understand that cultural heritage belongs to a larger human story. AAF holds that responsibility with care in everything we research, document, and share.

Guiding Principles

Preservation

is a responsibility we take seriously. Cultural heritage must be carefully documented, responsibly studied, and protected for future generations. Without context, objects lose their meaning; without preservation, traditions risk being forgotten.

Dialogue

It is how knowledge grows. AAF creates space for conversation — between disciplines, between institutions, and between scholars and broader public audiences — so that the study of Asian art remains a living, shared endeavor.

Integrity

It guides our practice. We approach all research, documentation, and public communication with care and responsibility, avoiding unverifiable claims and promotional language in favor of honest, grounded scholarship.

AAF Statement

The Asian Art Federation is committed to the thoughtful and responsible study of Asian artistic traditions in all their diversity and depth.

We recognize that the histories embedded in Asian art — spanning centuries, geographies, and cultural contexts — are complex, multilayered, and not always easily categorized. Our programs are designed to take that complexity seriously: to examine, discuss, and interpret rather than to simplify or reduce.

AAF is particularly attentive to questions of context and provenance. We believe that understanding a work of art requires understanding its history — how it was made, by whom, for what purpose, and how it has traveled through time. This commitment to historical context shapes every research initiative and public program we undertake.

We are an independent platform, and we intend to remain one. Independence allows us to pursue scholarship on its own terms, without commercial pressure or institutional constraint. We welcome partnerships with universities, museums, and cultural organizations who share this commitment.

Board of Directors

Miao Rios

Born in Wuhan by the Yangtze River and shaped by more than two decades living across New Zealand, Australia, the UAE, and the United States, Miao Rios operates at the intersection of cultural preservation and modern strategic infrastructure. Her passion focuses on interpreting traditional Asian aesthetics for contemporary global audiences, strengthening cultural institutions through structural clarity, and bridging Eastern philosophical frameworks with Western operational models. She designs long-horizon cultural and business strategies built to withstand volatility. Viewing culture not as nostalgia but as infrastructure, she integrates calligraphy, strategic advisory work, and global engagement across 80+ countries to advance cross-cultural fluency and sustainable institutional dialogue.

Amy Hsu

Amy Hsu was born and raised in Taiwan, where she received a traditional Chinese education rooted in classical philosophy and cultural heritage. She later moved to New York to earn her MBA from St. John’s University and currently serves as Director of the Budget Department at The City College of New York, overseeing financial planning within a major public institution. With a professional background in fiscal governance and institutional management, Amy brings structural discipline and operational insight to the Federation’s leadership. She is also deeply committed to the arts, particularly photography and Chinese calligraphy. For Amy, calligraphy—like Tai Chi—embodies balance, restraint, and cultivated wisdom, principles that guide both her artistic practice and her approach to leadership.

Sophia Alonso

Sophia Alonso is an attorney and executive with extensive experience advising major U.S. institutions in both public and private sectors. Her background includes work at Proskauer Rose and service with the National Labor Relations Board, where she handled complex legal matters in federal and administrative courts. She currently serves in a leadership role at Montefiore Health System. Raised along the U.S.–Mexico border, Sophia developed an early appreciation for the ways cultures intersect and shape one another. That perspective has deepened through her travels and long-standing interest in art and material culture. Her engagement with the arts is rooted in a personal commitment to cultural heritage and preservation. She is particularly interested in artistic traditions that carry historical knowledge across generations and in the role of cultural exchange in fostering understanding. As a founding member of the Asian Art Federation, Sophia is dedicated to supporting its mission to advance the study, preservation, and cultural interpretation of artistic traditions, and to build a platform for meaningful dialogue across cultures.

Studies

Explore a curated collection of studies and resources designed for scholars and enthusiasts interested in Asian art, fostering deeper understanding and appreciation.

Explore highlights

Support

The Federation remains open to support and is dedicated to upholding it through a steadfast commitment to excellence, integrity, and purposeful ambition.

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Partnerships

AAF is open to partnerships through genuine intellectual reciprocity and long-term shared commitment to preserve Asian art and culture.

Discover Partnership Opportunities

Asian Art Federation

501(c)(3) non-profit organization

Federation of Asian Art and Culture Inc.

Dedicated to the study, preservation, and cultural interpretation of Asian artistic traditions.

Quick Links

About AAF
Research Seminars
Preservation Highlights
Public Lectures
Partnerships

Resources

Calligraphy
Taichi
Chinese Painting
Lion Dance
Chinese Opera
Tea Ceremony
Shadow Puppetry
Origami
Feng Shui
Pottery
Ceramics

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