Additional Research Seminar
Organized by Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies–Kathmandu Center and Martin Chautari
Title
The Roles of Nepal's Artists in Bhutanese Art History
Speaker
Ariana Maki
Assistant Professor, Department of Art and Design, University of Idaho, USA
Date: Friday, 6 June 2025 (२३ जेठ २०८२)
Time: 3 pm
Venue: Martin Chautari Seminar Hall, Thapathali, Kathmandu
Abstract
Traditional Buddhist texts regularly recount the efforts of patrons seeking to secure the most talented artists to enrich temple walls and shrines. While western Bhutan provided high-quality creations in clay, Nepal excelled in metal. Malla era smiths set the standards in aesthetic and technical achievements, crafting works that were largely peerless in the region–skills that made them highly sought after in neighboring nations and kingdoms. As part of a larger project toward a comprehensive art history of Bhutan, this talk will present recent research on the contributions of itinerant Nepali artists to Bhutan’s surviving material record. We will focus in particular on sculptures produced in the 17th century, and how those images functioned within the broader visual environment during Bhutan’s consolidation phase under the leadership of the Drukpa Kagyu Buddhist tradition.
About the Speaker
Ariana Maki holds a PhD in Buddhist art history and is currently serving as the 2025 U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Bhutan. She is assistant professor in the Art & Design Department at the University of Idaho (US), where she teaches global art history, theory, and visual culture. In addition to research on Himalayan art and architecture, Ariana is involved with several collaborative digital humanities projects that provide increased access to and understanding of regional cultures.
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