Introduction To Asian Art

It looks at the ways in which social, cultural, economic, and political factors have shaped the development of Asian art, notably the important role played by the major religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. The origins of Buddhist art, Chinese landscape painting, Japanese prints, great architecture such as the Taj Mahal, and the impact of colonialism are some of the themes that will be explored in this course.

About the trainer
Jeffrey Say is an art historian specialising in Singapore and Southeast Asian art history who has undertaken pioneering research and study of sculpture in pre- and post-war Singapore. In 2009, he designed the world’s first postgraduate programme focusing on Asian modern and contemporary art histories at LASALLE College of the Arts, for which he is the Programme Leader.

A public advocate of the importance of art history to Singapore, Jeffrey is a frequent public speaker at museums, universities and galleries, and conducts short courses which remain hugely popular. He is the co-editor of Histories, Practices, Interventions: A Reader in Singapore Contemporary Art (Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore, 2016) and Intersections, Institutions, Innovations: A Reader in Singapore Modern Art (World Scientific, 2022), which remain critical anthologies for researchers, curators and students on Singapore art. He is also the co-author of the Exploring Southeast Asia With… series of books (Penguin Random House, 2022).

Note: Course trainers are, on occasion, subject to change with short notice.