Description

This intensive course explores the diverse arts of Asia from origins to the present day. The course includes an analysis of Asian art and its increasingly important position in the global art market, examining works of art from India, the Middle East, China, Japan and Korea. Students acquire a knowledge of the stylistic development of ritual, religious, pictorial and decorative art from Asia as well as an understanding of the role of trade and religious transmission in fostering connections between the material cultures of different Asian regions. The course combines object-specific and object-based learning with broad cultural, economic and political contexts.

The fourth week of the course focuses on the turbulent but exciting period of the twentieth century and culminates with contemporary Chinese, Japanese and Korean art, enabling students to develop a better understanding of the regions key contemporary artists.

Students are taught by a variety of experts in small groups. They develop their visual and critical abilities in the identification, analysis and interpretation of objects, and acquire skills that are essential for working in the art world.

Visits to leading museums and galleries complement the classroom-based lectures.

This course is also available in one-week modules:
Week 1: Art of India and the Middle East
Week 2: Art of China
Week 3: Art of Japan and Korea
Week 4: Contemporary Asian Art

The course is introductory and requires no prior knowledge of the field.