Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sacred Screens and Scrolls: Decoding Buddhist Symbols in Shikō Munakata’s Prints
japansociety.org/arts-and-culture/exhibitions/sacred-screens-shiko-munakata
Tuesday, March 8 at 6 pm EST
“How does the artist breathe life into his work? By summoning the spirit of the art that lives inside him… Power comes from the artist’s spirit, warmth from his tenderness, and serenity from his prayers.” —Shikō Munakata, Hanga no Hanashi (1954)
In this virtual walkthrough of Shikō Munakata: A Way of Seeing, D. Max Moerman, professor and chair of Asian & Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College, delves into the artist’s rich Buddhist roots, unveiling key philosophies, motifs and figures at the heart of Munakata’s oeuvre. In conversation with Japan Society’s Chief Program Officer Ramona Handel-Bajema, Ph.D., Moerman discusses the religious significance of works such as Eulogy to Shōkei (1945), a six-panel screen containing 24 individual prints, and The Ten Great Disciples of Buddha (1939/1948), a set of 12 expressive, black-and-white hanging scrolls, as well as several calligraphic works.
D. Max Moerman is Professor in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College. He is Co-Chair of the Columbia University Seminar in Buddhist Studies and an Associate Director of the Columbia Center for Buddhism and Asian Religions. He holds an A.B. from Columbia College and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. His research interests are in the visual and material culture of Japanese religions.
------
Visit: japansociety.org/page/calendar
Like: facebook.com/japansociety
Follow: twitter.com/japansociety
Watch: youtube.com/user/JapanSocietyNYC
Join: japansociety.org/page/support
Teach: aboutjapan.japansociety.org
Sacred Screens and Scrolls: Decoding Buddhist Symbols in Shikō Munakata’s Prints
japansociety.org/arts-and-culture/exhibitions/sacred-screens-shiko-munakata
Tuesday, March 8 at 6 pm EST
“How does the artist breathe life into his work? By summoning the spirit of the art that lives inside him… Power comes from the artist’s spirit, warmth from his tenderness, and serenity from his prayers.” —Shikō Munakata, Hanga no Hanashi (1954)
In this virtual walkthrough of Shikō Munakata: A Way of Seeing, D. Max Moerman, professor and chair of Asian & Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College, delves into the artist’s rich Buddhist roots, unveiling key philosophies, motifs and figures at the heart of Munakata’s oeuvre. In conversation with Japan Society’s Chief Program Officer Ramona Handel-Bajema, Ph.D., Moerman discusses the religious significance of works such as Eulogy to Shōkei (1945), a six-panel screen containing 24 individual prints, and The Ten Great Disciples of Buddha (1939/1948), a set of 12 expressive, black-and-white hanging scrolls, as well as several calligraphic works.
D. Max Moerman is Professor in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College. He is Co-Chair of the Columbia University Seminar in Buddhist Studies and an Associate Director of the Columbia Center for Buddhism and Asian Religions. He holds an A.B. from Columbia College and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. His research interests are in the visual and material culture of Japanese religions.
------
Visit: japansociety.org/page/calendar
Like: facebook.com/japansociety
Follow: twitter.com/japansociety
Watch: youtube.com/user/JapanSocietyNYC
Join: japansociety.org/page/support
Teach: aboutjapan.japansociety.org
