Transcendent Specifics: Buddhist Arts of Tibet, Japan, Korea, and China 

Lecture by Katherine Anne Paul, curator of the arts of Asia at the Newark Museum, New Jersey
Like art of other global religions, each region where Buddhism took hold developed locally specific iterations. While the central story about the life of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni is shared by all practitioners, in the artistic practices of Tibet, Japan, Korea, and China, images of figures other than the historical Buddha rose in popularity. Each area made images from locally available materials and developed stylistic characteristics that are distinct to both place and time. This illustrated lecture not only unlocks the basics of how to read narratives and iconography of Buddhist art, but also highlights distinguishing factors of each regional manifestation.