Buddhist art in Sri Lanka is diverse and reflects how quickly Buddhism spread throughout South and Southeast Asia as a major religion. The Sigiriya Frescos and the Samadhi Statue are two of Sri Lanka's most well-known works of art. Sri Lanka has a thousand-year history of human settlement. The island's two prominent religions, Buddhism and Hinduism, both originated in India. Some Indian influence can be found in sectors as diverse as art, architecture, literature, music, medicine, and astronomy, but Sri Lanka developed its own distinct culture and style…

Birds and Flowers in a Landscape of the Four Seasons is a painting produced in Japan in the second half of the 1500s by a follower of calligrapher and screen painter Sesshū Tōyō. It is presumed to be part of a set of works of the same name. In this work/presumed series, the artist presents observations of birds and flowers set within a Japanese landscape that changes across the four seasons…

Ukiyo-e, also known as ‘pictures of the floating world’, is a Japanese genre of painting that was popular in Japan, and subsequently in Europe, in the 17th-19th centuries. Known for his ukiyo-e prints produced during the Edo period, Katsushika Hokusai created prints such as “Under the Great Wave of Kanagawa.” His woodblock prints would be influential in the development of manga…

Since ancient and medieval times, ossuaries have created some of the most beautiful buildings out of an interesting and unorthodox medium: bones. Various examples of architecture throughout history have human remains implemented into their structures. Ossuaries are where remains often resided in ancient and medieval cities due to cemeteries being filled or overcrowded. In particular faiths, such as Catholicism and Zoroastrianism, this practice is used to honor the dead and bring them closer to God. In other instances, these buildings and monuments are used to honor the dead who may have been victims, or who were members of a royal or famous family. Some often see these large monuments as a reminder to the living about their mortality…

Beginning with works from approximately 30,000 years before the common era until the modern era, the Indigenous people of the Americas established a long and intricate history of artistic expression. The earliest of these works include anthropomorphic figures and portable art carved on the bones of megafauna. The architectural history of the Indigenous Americas is no less varied and complex. Unfortunately, access to historical understanding of many works is impacted by the erosion of time and the conquest of foreign invaders. However, we are left with magnificent monumental structures in locations such as Teotihuacan, Mexico, which is home to the Temples of the Sun and Moon…

The ceramics studio at Jackson State University is always bustling with activity. Featuring state of the art kilns and an abundance of glazes and clay, the studio offers students an opportunity to experiment with a wide range of techniques. In addition to providing students with a foundation in traditional ceramics techniques and advising on how to produce functional items, Professor Hyun Chong Kim also encourages sculptural free handling of clay…