Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior is a large exhibition with a great variety of works of art celebrating the many manifestations of Vishnu. It serves as both a primer on Hinduism and a survey of Indian art. The exhibition features 170 objects that explore the many personae and legends of Vishnu as well as the diverse traditions of worship that have celebrated him. Vishnu, one of the most important gods in Hinduism, is said to be responsible for maintaining balance in the universe - something he often does by assuming new forms, known as avatars. In these new forms, Vishnu descends to earth to fight the forces of chaos. A few of Vishnu’s avatars, most notably Rama and Krishna, have developed devoted followings in their own right. This exhibition features sculpture, paintings, textiles, and ritual objects from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh that range in date from the fourth century C.E. to the twentieth century.

This exhibition is organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts and curated by Joan Cummins, Lisa and Bernard Selz Curator, Asian Art, Brooklyn Museum. Her most recent achievement is Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior, a major loan exhibition and publication of works of art representing the Hindu deity. Joan received her Ph.D. in Art History from Columbia University in 2001. Prior to coming to Brooklyn, Joan served as Assistant Curator of Indian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. While at the MFA Boston, she wrote Indian Paintings: From Cave Temples to the Colonial Period (2006), an introduction to Indian painting used in many university art courses.