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East Asia Resource Center, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington

East Asian Visual Culture – NCTA Online Workshop Series

Byōdō-in's Phoenix Hall is a Japan's National Treasure in Uji, Kyoto prefecture, Japan It was built in 1153. Byōdō-in was registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic monuments of ancient Kyoto".

 

Teachers joined art historian Melanie King for a continuation of the introductory to East Asian visual culture workshops. These 90-minute, stand-alone sessions each had  a unique focus and are intended for people new to East Asian art history or people looking for a refresher course. During each session we spent time exploring artistic, historical, and cultural aspects pertinent to each topic with time for discussion and consideration of classroom application.

Program details

Participants chose to attend at least one of the following sessions:

Burial objects and other things found in tombs
Tuesday, April 23 – 4:30 – 6:00 pm (PT)
This session examined early burial practices and the precious objects people were buried with across East Asia.

Introduction to the visual culture of Shinto
Tuesday, April 30 – 4:30 – 6:00 pm (PT)
This session considered Shinto origin stories, sacred sites, shine construction, devotional objects, and the role of State Shinto.

Art of the Heian period
Tuesday, May 7  – 4:30 – 6:00 pm (PT)
This session examined the arts of the Heian period (794-1185) by tracing the move away from Chinese visual culture in the development of a decidedly Japanese style.

Introduction to the visual culture of Chan/Seon/Zen and Pureland Buddhism
Tuesday, May 14  – 4:30 – 6:00 pm (PT)
In this session we traced the emergence of Chan (Seon/Zen) Buddhism and Pureland Buddhism and their associated art forms across East Asia. Consideration was given to the related visual expressions of each practice.

West meets East
Tuesday, May 21  – 4:30 – 6:00 pm (PT)
In this session we examined the influence East Asian artistic traditions have had on Western visual culture from the earliest points of contact to the present.

Program benefits

  • 2 free WA OSPI clock hours per session.
  • Online resources.

Program resources

Click here for the Padlet site with the links and the resources for the program.

This program was sponsored by the East Asia Resource Center at the University of Washington and funded by a Freeman Foundation grant in support of the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA)