An innovative and compelling presentation of world-class Tibetan Buddhist art, elucidating its esoteric themes through visual storytelling Encouraging personal engagement with Tibetan Buddhism, this dynamic book presents spectacular Himalayan art and explores the philosophical tenets encoded in its imagery. Taking as its theme the universally accessible experience of Awakening, the book’s main text leads readers along an immersive journey of self-discovery, aided by a virtual guide, or lama, and traditional art meant to support meditative practice. Complementary essays examine Tibetan Buddhism’s ritual tools, paintings, symbolic imagery, and artistic traditions. Beautiful color images of all artworks, including three by contemporary Nepalese-American artist Tsherin Sherpa, and selected important details enhance our understanding of their complex iconography.

Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment

Arts & Photography

Durham, Jeffrey

Rice, John Henry

History & Criticism

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

What happens when the divine is given a body? Have gods created humans in their image, or is it the other way around? How do people express their values through the forms with which they present their bodies? Divine Bodies is a thought-provoking Asian art history book that explores intriguing questions like these raised by the sacred art traditions of Asia. Approximately 45 artworks from the Asian Art Museum's renowned collection show how artists have envisioned the divine, imbuing it with forms that are meant to reflect supernatural qualities. Additionally, 20 contemporary photographs suggest how some artists today deal with questions about the body and its manifold expressions. The book explores how ideal beauty is interpreted in different Asian cultures, how that beauty can be transformed by altering the forms of the body, how deities maintain their identity despite changes to their form, and how divine beings are represented after their death. By viewing these deity-images, readers—whether religious or not—can perceive the messages that artists wish to convey. But Divine Bodies invites readers to do more than just recognize and relate to the meanings inscribed on divine bodies: it also shows how divine imagery shapes and reflects the daily experiences of ordinary people. The novel topic of this book, its diverse and extraordinary artworks, and the unique perspectives of its authors make Divine Bodies a fine art book that will be talked about and thought about for years to come.

Divine Bodies: Sacred Imagery in Asian Art

Adamjee, Qamar

Oen, Karin G.

Asian Art Museum

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Books by Durham, Jeffrey