Where Art Meets Science: Ancient Sculpture from the Hindu-Buddhist World (Cambodia)
Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena, CA
Through August 1, 2011

Before ancient objects enter a museum collection, they often travel 
vast distances and endure various periods of use, disuse, loss, and 
rediscovery. Their original meaning and function can become lost or 
obscured. For this reason, museums conduct extensive research on all
 objects entering their collections. Curators and conservators 
faithfully survey objects for any hints about their origins and
 provenance to ensure their overall general health, factual
documentation and preservation. Where Art Meets Science: Ancient 
Sculpture from the Hindu-Buddhist World, a focused exhibition of
 primarily Cambodian sculpture from the Norton Simon foundations’
 permanent collections, examines the connoisseurship and conservation 
involved in identifying and preserving these ancient objects.

A collaboration between the museum’s assistant curator of Asian art, 
Melody N. Rod-ari, and its conservator, John Griswold, this small
 installation explores how the place of origin and date of an object
can be determined by the rendering of drapery pleats, hairstyles and
 ornaments of iconic statuary from South and Southeast Asia dating from
the 3rd through 13th centuries. Furthermore, analytical methods to 
help identify traces of pigments, binders, and applied organic
 materials will be introduced, as will a discussion about 
distinguishing ancient tool marks from later ones.

Website: www.nortonsimon.org/where-art-meets-science-ancient-sculpture-from-the-hindu-buddhist-world

Gods of Angkor: Bronzes from the National Museum of Cambodia

Getty Center, Los Angeles
Through August 14, 2011

The ancient capital of the Khmer people at Angkor, in northwest 
Cambodia, was once the heart of a large sphere of influence that
extended over much of mainland Southeast Asia. The bronzes in this 
exhibition’ masterworks from the collection of the National Museum of
 Cambodia represent the achievements of Khmer artists during the Angkor
 period (the ninth through the 15th centuries).
Bronze, a mixture of metals consisting primarily of copper and tin,
 was a preferred medium for giving form to the Hindu and Buddhist
divinities worshipped in Angkor and throughout the Khmer empire. The 
Khmer have always viewed bronze as a noble material, connoting
prosperity and success, and it has played a deeply meaningful role in 
their culture over many centuries.

Website: www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/gods_angkor/

The Way of the Elders: The Buddha in Modern Theravada Traditions
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles

Through March 25, 2012

Theravada, or “The Way of the Elders,” is the school of Buddhism practiced today in Sri Lanka and much of Southeast Asia. Central to Theravada worship is the historic Buddha, Shakyamuni (circa fifth century BC). Shakyamuni was born after numerous rebirths, which are recounted in jatakas, or birth stories, the last ten of which are of paramount importance. These ten are depicted over and over on manuscript pages, textiles, and monastery walls. The last of these popular stories is the one concerning the Buddha’s final life as Shakyamuni, the lifetime in which he reaches enlightenment. Works in this exhibition illustrate a range of media produced in Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand from the eighteenth century to the present. They represent the Buddha in a variety of forms, as figures in his previous births, as the Buddha with monks and lay worshippers, and as symbols, such as the Buddha’s footprints. Contemporary Southeast Asian artists continue to draw inspiration from traditional Buddhist imagery, as in a painting by the Thai artist Kamol Tassananchalee which will be on view as part of this exhibition.

Website: www.lacma.org/art/ExhibInstallations.aspx#woe

Click play to listen to this mp3. Please note sound files are not playable on mobile devices.

Hawai’i’s strong connection with Southeast Asia is probably most easily felt through the influx of residents from the area. Many don’t realize that the University of Hawai’i is an extraordinary resource for Southeast Asian scholarship, the only university in the U.S. with Southeast Asianists in both art history and archaeology, a Center for Southeast Asian Studies plus related faculty in the history department. Noe Tanigawa found two specialists for this visit with “Four Thousand Years of Southeast Asian Art” at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. “Four Thousand Years of Southeast Asian Art,” works from Ban Chiang, Angkor and the Sukhothai Kingdom, continues at the Honolulu Academy of Arts through January 9th. Check www.honoluluacademy.org for details.

Link to podcast on Hawaii Public Radio

September 9, 2010-January 9, 2011
Henry R. Luce Gallery

For its major fall exhibition, the Honolulu Academy of Arts highlights its important but little seen collection of Southeast Asian Art. On view will be approximately 150 works of art from Thailand and Cambodia, many of which have never been displayed at the museum.

Visitors will travel through time and regions via three sections: The Neolithic and Bronze ages in Thailand and Cambodia; the Khmer kingdom, which dominated the central Southeast Asian peninsula from the 9th through the 15th centuries; and the Sukhothai kingdom, generally considered the first major Thai kingdom and the progenitor of the modern Thai state, which flourished from the 13th through the 15th centuries. The exhibition will cover the artistic and cultural developments of three important Southeast Asian cultures (Ban Chiang, Khmer, and Sukhothai) over more than 4,000 years, going from vibrantly decorated Neolithic earthenware ceramics to a dazzling gold Buddhist sculpture.

This exhibition is a chance for the public to discover a major resource in Hawaii for the study of Southeast Asia, and it promotes a greater awareness and appreciation of Southeast Asian cultural and artistic traditions in the Hawaii community.

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING

Lecture series:
Public lectures by University of Hawaii professors Miriam Stark and Paul Lavy will greatly illuminate the works on view in the exhbition. Lectures will be held on Thursdays throughout October at 4 p.m. in the Doris Duke Theatre. Admission is free.

Oct. 7:From Stone to Bronze and Village to City: Southeast Asia’s Buried Past
Southeast Asia’s earliest archaeological remains date back more than 1.8 million years. Through the millennia, Southeast Asians crafted their lives and shaped their landscapes in ways that ultimately produced kingdoms and empires. This lecture surveys Southeast Asia’s history from an archaeological point of view, and highlights key developments from the Neolithic through the Classical period.Miriam T Stark, PhD; Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Hawai’i at Manoa

Oct. 14:Vishnu’s Heavenly Realm: Angkor Wat and Ancient Khmer Architecture
Angkor Wat (12th century), one of the worlds largest and most complex religious monuments, was built as a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and later transformed into a Buddhist sanctuary. This lecture will examine Angkor Wat’s history, architecture, and symbolism and explore its central role in Khmer (Cambodian) culture. Paul Lavy, PhD; Assistant Professor of South and Southeast Asian Art History, Department of Art and Art History, University of Hawai’i at Manoa

Oct. 21:Cultivating the Image of Compassion: Power, Propaganda, and the Statuary of Ancient Angkor
Hindu and Buddhist sculpture was central to both religion and politics in ancient Angkor. This lecture will investigate the intersection of politics, religion, and art at the peak of Angkors power during the reign of its most colorful king, Jayavarman VII, a ruler who cleverly utilized unusual Buddhist art to express both his personal piety and political ambitions. Paul Lavy

Oct. 28:Walking with the Buddha: The Art of Sukhothai
The kingdom of Sukhothai (13th-15th centuries) was the first major Thai kingdom and it is often regarded as the Golden Age of Thai civilization. This lecture will provide an introduction to the art of Sukhothai and explore the symbolism and style of Sukhothai Buddha images, renowned worldwide for their elegance and distinctive stylistic qualities.

9 September 2010 – 9 January 2011 at the Honolulu Academy of Arts

For its major fall exhibition, the Academy highlights its important but little seen collection of Southeast Asian Art. On view will be approximately 150 works of art from Thailand and Cambodia, many of which have never been displayed at the museum.

Visitors will travel through time and regions via three sections: The Neolithic and Bronze ages in Thailand and Cambodia; the Khmer kingdom, which dominated the central Southeast Asian peninsula from the 9th through the 15th centuries; and the Sukhothai kingdom, generally considered the first major Thai kingdom and the progenitor of the modern Thai state, which flourished from the 13th through the 15th centuries. The exhibition will cover the artistic and cultural developments of three important Southeast Asian cultures (Ban Chiang, Khmer, and Sukhothai) over more than 4,000 years, going from vibrantly decorated Neolithic earthenware ceramics to a dazzling gold Buddhist sculpture.

This exhibition is a chance for the public to discover a major resource in Hawaii for the study of Southeast Asia, and it promotes a greater awareness and appreciation of Southeast Asian cultural and artistic traditions in the Hawaii community.

The exhibition and its educational programs are supported in part by a grant from the Hawaii Council for the Humanities.

Lecture series:
Public lectures by University of Hawaii professors Miriam Stark and Paul Lavy will greatly illuminate the works on view in the exhbition. Lectures will be held on Thursdays throughout October at 4 p.m. in the Doris Duke Theatre. Admission is free.

Oct. 7:From Stone to Bronze and Village to City: Southeast Asia’s Buried Past
Presented by Miriam T Stark, PhD; Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Southeast Asia’s earliest archaeological remains date back more than 1.8 million years. Through the millennia, Southeast Asians crafted their lives and shaped their landscapes in ways that ultimately produced kingdoms and empires. This lecture surveys Southeast Asia’s history from an archaeological point of view, and highlights key developments from the Neolithic through the Classical period.

Oct. 14:Vishnu’s Heavenly Realm: Angkor Wat and Ancient Khmer Architecture
Presented by Paul Lavy, PhD; Assistant Professor of South and Southeast Asian Art History, Department of Art and Art History, University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Angkor Wat (12th century), one of the worlds largest and most complex religious monuments, was built as a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and later transformed into a Buddhist sanctuary. This lecture will examine Angkor Wat’s history, architecture, and symbolism and explore its central role in Khmer (Cambodian) culture.

Oct. 21:Cultivating the Image of Compassion: Power, Propaganda, and the Statuary of Ancient Angkor
Presented by Paul Lavy, PhD; Assistant Professor of South and Southeast Asian Art History, Department of Art and Art History, University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Hindu and Buddhist sculpture was central to both religion and politics in ancient Angkor. This lecture will investigate the intersection of politics, religion, and art at the peak of Angkors power during the reign of its most colorful king, Jayavarman VII, a ruler who cleverly utilized unusual Buddhist art to express both his personal piety and political ambitions.

Oct. 28:Walking with the Buddha: The Art of Sukhothai
The kingdom of Sukhothai (13th-15th centuries) was the first major Thai kingdom and it is often regarded as the Golden Age of Thai civilization. This lecture will provide an introduction to the art of Sukhothai and explore the symbolism and style of Sukhothai Buddha images, renowned worldwide for their elegance and distinctive stylistic qualities.

Teacher Workshop
All teachers are invited to attend a teacher workshop on September 25, 2010 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM in the Museum Lecture Hall. For reservations, please call Betsy Robb 532-3666. This teacher workshop is fully sponsored by the Hawaii Council for the Humanities.

more info

A 35th Anniversary Presentation Featuring Dances Created and Performed by Garrett Kam
Wednesday, 21 July at 5:00 pm at Earl Ernst Lab Theatre, Kennedy Theatre, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI
Free admission

In 1975, an art student at the University of Hawai’i began studying Javanese dance.
Thirty-five years later he shares his choreographies that reflect his life.

Puspayoga (2006; 13 minutes)
Based on Javanese classical dance in the Yogyakarta style, this refined male solo honors all teachers past, present and future. It was inspired by a supernatural visit in Bali from Garrett’s late dance teacher, Sasminta Mardawa, at the exact moment of the earthquake on 27 May 2006 that devastated Yogyakarta. The solo song warns about being boastful from acquiring knowledge and advises to listen to the inner voice for guidance. The title means ‘Blossoming Meditation’ with Javanese vocal and gamelan music from the sultan’s palace in Yogyakarta.

costume change interlude (“Hamachijuyaa” played by Gamelan Sanga, Okinawa)

Oki-Jawa Journeys (2007 and 2008; 14 minutes)
Inspired by historical and cultural links between Okinawa and Java, these three dances blend movements from these two islands. “Hi, Sigh!” is a word play on the Okinawan “Haisai!” (Hello!) and Indonesian slang “Hai, sayang!” (Hey, sweetie!); a Javanese dance scarf is manipulated like an Okinawan flower garland using gentle female style dance. “Eisaa-ruu” blends movements from lively Okinawan eisaa dances done to welcome ancestral spirits with Javanese monkey dance; saaruu in Okinawan means ‘monkey’. “Fan-tasy” uses two fans which are manipulated like a Javanese dance sash and uses refined male movements. The musical pieces are by the groups Hae (Okinawa), Ukwanshin Kabudan (Hawaii), and Banjar Teretai Capung (Bali and Java), with interludes by Singaporean composer Dzul Rabul Jalil and Okinawan pop group Nenes.

costume change interlude (“Ashimizu Bushi” played by Gamelan Sanga, Okinawa)

Wayang Sampur-na (2010; 40 minutes)
In Javanese, sampurna means “ideal, perfect, pure”. A sampur is a long cloth sash used in Javanese dance to accentuate and extend movements. In this wayang (performance), dance sashes are used in different ways for presenting some of the most important scenes from the Ramayana, the eternal epic of devotion, separation and reunion. Masks and puppets of characters are created on stage with different colored sampur, animated and then pulled apart as the story unfolds with short narration between episodes. Mostly danced in the Javanese court style from Yogyakarta with some new interpretations, the performance includes elements from other parts of Indonesia (Bali and West Java), Okinawa, Taiwan, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, India and Sri Lanka, as well as some improvisation and contemporary movements. This also is an autobiographical work of places visited and cultures studied by Garrett since 1975. A short Javanese dance introduces the four major character court styles of ogre king Ravana, monkey warrior Hanuman, refined hero Rama, and princess Sita. Narrative scenes are danced to traditional Javanese and Balinese melodies arranged for Western instruments by Canadian ethnomusicologist Colin McPhee, with opening and closing scenes using Asian inspired film music by Australian composer Elizabeth Drake.

GARRETT KAM was born in Hawaii but has lived in Southeast Asia for nearly 25 years, mostly in Java and Bali. He received his bachelor’s degree in Textiles and Asian Art History in 1976, and his master’s degree in Southeast Asian History and Asian Theatre in 1987 as an East-West Center Grantee (Institute of Culture and Communication, 1985-1987) from the University of Hawai’i. Garrett studied Javanese dance from 1975 to 1979 at the University of Hawai’i, and from 1979 to 1982 learned under master court teachers of the sultan’s palace in Yogyakarta, especially Sasminta Mardawa (KRT Sasmintadipura), Raden Sunartomo and Bambang Pudjasworo. Garrett was the first non-Javanese to regularly perform in the professional group of Mardawa Budaya and Pamulangan Beksa Ngayogyakarta schools of court dance and had his own troupe in Hawaii. As a Fulbright Grantee from 1987 to 1988, Garrett researched ritual in Bali where he has resided since then and is curator of the Neka Art Museum. He also serves as the only non-Balinese ritual assistant and offerings maker at one of the island’s most important Hindu-Buddhist temples.

Garrett has taught and performed Javanese dance in Hawaii at the University of Hawai’i, East-West Center, Mamiya Theatre, Leeward Community College, Kapi’olani Community College, Bishop Museum and Lyman House Museum; University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Center for World Music at California Institute of the Arts in San Diego and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Lewis and Clark College in Oregon, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire; in Thailand at Chulalongkorn University, The Joe Louis Traditional Thai Puppet Theatre, The Siam Society, The James H.W. Thompson Foundation and Patravadi Theatre; in Cambodia at the Royal University of Fine Arts, Sovanna Phum Khmer Art Association and The Khmer Arts Theatre; in Japan at Okinawa Christian University, Okinawa Prefecture University of the Fine Arts and Meio University; in Korea at the National Centre for Traditional Korean Performing Arts in Busan; in Indonesia at Pondok Pekak Art Center and Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets in Bali, and The Japan Foundation in Jakarta; in Singapore at the Chinese Opera Institute, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore Art Museum, Peranakan Museum, LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts, National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technological University, Centre for the Arts at the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Maya Dance Theatre and Esplanade Theatres; in Taiwan at the Asian Cultural Council of Taipei and Lin Liu-Hsin Puppet Theatre Museum; and in Sri Lanka at the University of Peradeniya in Kandy.
In addition to arranging and choreographing Javanese court dances, Garrett also performs Okinawan dance which he studied from 1982 to 1987 in Hawaii. In 2007 he created a blend of it with Javanese dance called “Oki-Jawa” to show the historical links and similarities between the two cultures which he has presented in Singapore, Hawaii, Okinawa and Indonesia. As a Rockefeller Grantee, he collaborated with dancers and musicians from different countries for the Asia Pacific Performance Exchange program at UCLA in 2000, and served as cultural advisor for UCLA’s Art of Rice Traveling Theatre in 2002 and 2003. “Wayang Sampur-na” is his latest work created in 2010 using masks and puppets made from Javanese dance sashes with performance elements of different traditions. Garrett has also authored many books, articles and catalogs mostly on Southeast Asian visual and performing arts. His Ramayana in the Arts of Asia (Select Books, Singapore; Asia Books, Bangkok, 2000) is the most comprehensive and complete illustrated survey of the diverse literary, performing and artistic traditions of this epic. In addition, Garrett has served as curator and organizer for art exhibitions in Indonesia, the USA, Japan, Australia and Singapore. He has assisted with several UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage projects and a dance education program in Yogyakarta.

July 8-October 10, 2010 at the John Dominis and Patches Damon Holt Gallery
Catharine E.B. Cox Award Exhibition

Sanit Khewhok is the 11th recipient of the prestigious Catharine E. B. Cox Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts. Born in Trang, Thailand, Khewhok received his undergraduate degree in Fine Arts: Painting, Sculpture, and Printmaking from Silpakorn University in Bangkok. He was then awarded a Masters in Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts of Rome with a specialization in painting and restoration techniques. For 30 years, he has worked as a curator, collections manager, and a conservator at museums in Thailand and Honolulu.

A practicing artist for more than 34 years, Khewhok is known for his small-scale works that invite us to engage with them on a personal level.

“I have felt comfortable with smaller sizes because when you look at the small-scale works there is an intimacy—the work is more personal,” says Khewhok. “A large-scale work for me seems heroic and monumental. I am not interested in that.” His statement speaks to the humble, soft-spoken Khewhok as a person and an artist.

Academically trained, Khewhok references art-historical traditions—especially from the Italian Renaissance—in his subject matter, style and handling of media. Artists such as Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516), Francisco Goya (1746-1828), and Edvard Munch (1863-1944) are major influences, and some of his pieces directly reference well-known masterworks. For example, two paintings in his Envelopes series borrow from Man Ray’s Le Violon d’Ingres (1924) and Edouard Manet’s Olympia (1863), juxtaposing a Marilyn Monroe postage stamp with Manet’s Olympia to draw a visual analogy between the two iconic women. He also draws upon contemporary history and prominent cultural figures, such as the the Vietnam War or President George W. Bush.

Khewhok’s personal experiences and inner circle also inform his art. For example, Untitled 2-4 are composed of fish bones collected on a walk along the beach, and Untitled 1 incorporates two fish that he ate for dinner one evening. Humor and personal stories underlie Khewhok’s art, whether as inside jokes or something more overt. Sharp-witted and always playful, his works will catch you off guard, mysteriously drawing you in.

A turning point in Khewhok’s artistic career came when he was ordained as a monk in 1985 and spent 100 days at a Thai monastery. As a traditional rite of passage into adulthood, all Thai men were expected to become ordained at the age of 21; however, Khewhok was a little older when he entered the monastery. There, he learned and practiced meditation. One afternoon, while walking in the woods to clear his mind, he absentmindedly picked up a stick and created a sculpture. Prior to this moment, Khewhok had felt confined and restricted by the academic training he had received in Thailand and Italy. Through the simple act of creating a sculpture out of a stick, he realized he had taken his next step as an artist.

As It Happened embodies Khewhok’s past and present and invites viewers to witness his evolution as an artist. His work eloquently synthesizes the various cultures and traditions he has straddled so far in life.—Rui Sasaki, Assistant Curator Special Projects, Department of European and American Art

more info | read the Honolulu Advertiser interview with Sanit Khewhok

27 June – 3 October 2010 at the East-West Center Gallery, Honolulu, HI

In honor of the East-West Center’s 50th anniversary, the Gallery will feature a selection of some 35 works rarely seen by the general public, including sculpture, prints, paintings, ceramics, metalwork, textiles, wood carvings, and photographs.

Since its founding in 1960, the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i, has been the recipient of hundreds of gifts of art, architecture, and artifacts reflecting the richness and diversity of the Asia Pacific region, including the United States. In keeping with the Center’s mandate to promote better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the region, the objects in the Permanent Collection serve as educational tools—as well as inspirational works of great beauty.

Included in this special exhibition are works by David Becker, Dalounny Carroll, Paul Chesley, Alonzo Davis, Rupert Garcia, Aisha Ghasnavi, Milton Glaser, R. C. Gorman, I Nyoman Gunarsa, Hokusai, Jose Joya, Erica Karawina, Da Tan Ke, I Nyoman Lesug, Meleanna Meyer, Mayumi Oda, Mary Pritchard, Sano Tankyu, Pak No Soo, Michael Tom, Hatano Tae, Mohammad Yasin, Noguchi Yukoku, and Cong Zhiyuan. Also included is a video projection art work, by Ben Wood and Michael Schuster, based on the flagship Charlot and Affandi murals in Imin Center-Jefferson Hall.

All in the EWC Gallery, admission free, except as noted.

Sunday, June 27, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Opening festivities including reception and presentation of 8-minute video art piece, Wisdoms of the East and West, accompanied by live music by Made Widana and Anna Reynolds at 2:00 and at 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 11, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Illustrated talk by Jeannette ‘Benji’ Bennington on the development of the EWC’s Permanent Collection of art works.

Sunday, August 29, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
“Influences from Hawai‘i,” illustrated talk by Mayumi Oda, former EWC Artist-in-Residence, and Hawai‘i Island resident.

Sunday, September 12, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Illustrated talk by Meleanna Aluli Meyer, former EWC Arts Program Intern. Meyer, a well known Hawaiian artist, curator, and arts educator speaks about past and current work.

Bali High
Friday, 25 June at 6:00 pm at the Honolulu Academy of Arts
Chaired by Lacy Matsumoto and TOWN’s Ed Kenney & Keoni Willing

ARTafterDARK is the Honolulu Academy of Arts’ monthly art party organized by a dynamic group of young volunteers dedicated to exploring the arts.

Summer starts sultry and tropical right here.

New this month: The main food bar moves from Luce Pavilion to Banyan Courtyard. A smaller food station will be in the Luce Pavilion along with the main bar.

Central Courtyard: Listen to the down-tempo house music of DJ Silvana, 6-9pm.

Luce Pavilion: Listen to the mesmerizing sounds of the UH gamelan ensemble and enjoy the main bar as well as some food selections (for purchase).

Banyan Courtyard: See all the food options TOWN has to offer this month at the full food bar.

Kinau Courtyard: In Bali, one of the highlights of the year is the an annual Kite Festival in July. We bring the tradition (a little early) to Honolulu. Make your own kite amid the sweet smell of temple incense!

Spotlight gallery: The Christensen Fund Gallery of Indonesian Art (Gallery 25). Located behind Kinau Courtyard.

more info | UHM CSEAS at Bali High – NEW

The course will cover art and architecture of tribal groups from island Southeast Asia. Topics include bronze age prehistory and indigenous cultures from Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

Course information: Summer Session II: 6 July – 13 Aug 2010, M-F 10:30 – 11:45am, 3 credits

Jerome Feldman teaches art history at Hawaii Pacific University. His specialization is in the arts of tribal Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. He received his Ph.D. in tribal art history from Columbia University and has conducted field studies in remote islands of Indonesia and Polynesia. He has studied museum collections in Europe and America and has aided in several important exhibitions including The Eloquent Dead at the Fowler Museum at UCLA, Nias Tribal Treasures at the Volkenkundig Meumeu Nusantara in Delft, and Beyond the Java Sea a Smithsonian sponsored traveling exhibition. He has also written books and articles and lectured extensively on tribal Southeast Asian, Micronesian and Polynesian art and architecture. In fall 2004, he was the Slade Visiting Professor at Cambridge University, England. between distribution patterns of human knowledge of biodiversity and actual biodiversity.

ASAN 310 is a multidisciplinary examination of literature, philosophy, and religion shaping Asian beliefs and values. We use film, video, novels, short stories, lectures, discussion and student writing to access cultures, histories and peoples of selected societies in East, South and Southeast Asia. Students will read novels about Indonesia (by Pramoedya Ananta Toer), China (by Wang Shuo), and India) by Farahad Zamar). We will also engage shorter works by writers from the Philippines, Okinawa and other countries. Students will write short weekly papers. Semester activities include a field trip to the Honolulu Academy of Arts. ASAN 310 will be valuable for students in any major or professional field who wish to gain a deeper understanding of—and empathy with—a range of Asian cultures.

Course information: Summer Session I: 24 May – 2 July 2010, M-F 10:30 – 11:45am, 3 credits

Vincent K. Pollard earned his graduate degrees at The University of Chicago and the University of Hawai‘i-Manoa. He has also been affiliated with the former Kansai Gaidai Hawaii College, the University of the Philippines-Diliman, and East China Normal University. To learn more about Pollard’s teaching, research and other professional activities, visit his website.