Aesthetic Manifestations Of Buddhist Devotion Practice

AY2022/2023 Semester 2

This course is intended to deepen and widen your pre-existing knowledge of Asian or Buddhist art, and to develop critical frameworks for rethinking prevailing canons of Buddhist art. It covers a selection of artefacts, sites and works of art from over two millennia from ca. 300BCE to the 21st century. The geographical scope mirrors the internationalisation of Buddhism, from South Asia to East, Southeast Asia, and the Western world, since the first millennium. We ask: how have Buddhist teachings been interpreted by image-makers over space and time, and how have the representations been subsequently experienced, read and used, and what makes 'Buddhist art' 'Buddhist' and 'art'? These studies will provide a basis for further in-depth studies of Buddhist Art.