Asian Studies Seminar Series: Maya Stiller

In brief

Date - 30 October 2024

Venue - Room LG.08, 40 George Square

Speaker - Professor Maya Stiller (University of Kansas)

Title - Artistic Orthopraxy: Spatial Storytelling in Late Chosŏn Buddhist Architecture

About the event

This talk offers a fresh perspective on Chosŏn period (1392-1910) Korean Buddhism by analysing the spatial storytelling strategies employed by artisan-monks in temple hall interior design. This aspect of Korean Buddhist art history has been largely overlooked in the existing scholarship. Through a detailed examination of sculpted and painted woodwork, coupled with the analysis of written records, this seminar presents a novel understanding of the complex interplay of established and new architectural practices that shaped temple interior design.

By focusing primarily on the carpenter-monks’ artistic orthopraxy and their meticulous crafting of a multi-layered spatial experience, this research lays the foundation for future studies on Chosŏn period Buddhist architecture. This talk is intended to engage readers across various disciplines, including Korean Buddhist art, religious studies, material studies, and East Asian architecture.

About the speaker

Maya Stiller is an Associate Professor of Korean art history and visual culture at the University of Kansas. Her first book, 'Carving Status at Kŭmgangsan' (University of Washington Press, 2021) won two book awards (American Historical Association 2022 Patricia Buckley Ebrey Prize and Association for Asian Studies 2024 James B. Palais Prize Honorable Mention).

Based on her multi-disciplinary background in art history and Buddhist Studies she has published several journal articles on Korean Buddhist/Daoist art, Buddhist fundraising, and patronage networks. She is currently working on her second book project which discusses the multi-layered cultural and religious context of Korean Buddhist architecture.

How to attend

This event is free to attend and open to all. No registration is required, simply turn up on the day.

Are you interested in studying with us?

We are the only university in Scotland to offer full undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in both Chinese and Japanese, as well as postgraduate programmes in Korean Studies and East Asian Studies.