This forum explores the doctoral journeys of three alumni from LASALLE’s MA Asian Art Histories programme and illuminate their transition from MA studies to PhD research.
Ramesh Ramakrishnan, Eunice Lacaste and Akshatha Ranganrajan will reflect on research challenges such as fieldwork complexities, linguistic barriers and archival access, alongside the practical realities of navigating application processes, funding mechanisms and institutional expectations.
Attendees will gain critical insights into the evolving landscape of Asian art scholarship and practical strategies for shaping their own scholarly endeavours, from proposal writing to sustaining research momentum.
Akshatha Rangarajan is a sculptor who graduated from the MA Asian Art Histories programme in 2022.
She is currently a doctoral candidate in art history at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She serves as a postgraduate representative of the Australasian Network for Asian Art (AN4AA).
Ramakrishnan Ramesh graduated from the MA Asian Art Histories programme in 2018.
He is currently a doctoral candidate at the Nanyang Technological University. His dissertation examines Faithscapes along the Ganges in Varanasi and Kolkata, integrating key actors’ oral narratives with visual documentation. He is passionate about photography and has published several photobooks.
Eunice Lacaste graduated from the MA Asian Art Histories programme in 2017.
She completed her PhD at the Nanyang Technological University in 2026. She researched participatory art and screen culture for her dissertation. Eunice currently works in programs and communication at NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore.
