Now on View: Mahjong and Its Cultural Forms at Sprague Art Gallery

Mahjong and Its Cultural Forms
September 14 – November 20, 2026
Sprague Art Gallery

The Sprague Art Gallery is pleased to present Mahjong and Its Cultural Forms, now on display through November 20, 2026.

This exhibition and public program explores mahjong as a cultural form, through the presentation of visual materials and community archive alongside a series of gameplay days and public events.

Across many diasporic communities, mahjong has long functioned as informal networks where communities exchange advice, resources, gossip-care, and knowledge. Often overlooked as sites of cultural production, these spaces have operated as oral archives, fostered intergenerational relationships, and cultivated collective care practices.

Mahjong and Its Cultural Forms foregrounds these histories while exploring how a new generation of Los Angeles artists, musicians, and cultural organizers are reimagining mahjong as both an ancestral practice and cultural art form. Presented through a mahjong parlor and a series of public workshops, the exhibition invites visitors to learn the game while engaging with its episodic histories across visual arts, cinema, literature, and popular culture.

At the heart of the exhibition is an ensemble of mahjong game forms, ranging from familiar tabletop settings to larger-than-life tiles. By positioning gameplay as both social gathering and performance, the exhibition expands on the history of mahjong beyond its rules and strategies to foreground the cultural and feminist histories embedded in the game.

Throughout the exhibition, the community will host public lessons and programs, blending traditional gameplay with contemporary music and nightlife. The Claremont community is invited to join in a larger-than-life mahjong experience.

Visit the HMC Arts exhibition page for more information on upcoming events for the exhibit.

Mahjong and Its Cultural Forms is co-organized by Assistant Professor in Architecture Jia Yi Gu of Harvey Mudd College and Angie Lin of Mahjong Mistresses and East Never Loses.

The exhibition and program are co-hosted by HMC Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts; The Intercollegiate Feminist Center for Teaching, Research and Engagement; and the Intercollegiate Media Studies Program.

The Sprague Art Gallery is located in the Shanahan Center for Teaching at Harvey Mudd College, at 320 E Foothill Blvd, Claremont, CA 91711.

For questions about the exhibition or related programs, please contact Jia Yi Gu, jiayigu@hmc.edu