Japan Foundation Los Angeles
In-person lecture series | Conversations on Japanese Art: The Beauty of Japanese Sculpture before and during the Asuka period
Monthly on Wednesdays, Starting November 12
Future Dates TBD, 7PM-8:30PM (PDT)
Admission is free, registration is required
CLICK HERE TO register
The ingenuity and creativity of the people living in pre-Buddhism Japan can be seen in their surviving pottery and metalwork. From the enigmatic dogū to the dynamic haniwa, early Japanese aesthetics quickly developed alongside its civilization. Then, Buddhism entered the archipelago in the sixth century CE, bringing with it a new tradition of sculpture that would invigorate sculpture-making in Japan.
About Lecturer: Michael VanHartingsveldt
A PhD candidate in Art History at the University of Kansas, Michael VanHartingsveldt is currently writing his dissertation about the Buddhist sculptor profession in medieval Japan.
He has curated exhibitions, taught university courses, and presented public lectures about Japanese visual culture in California, Kansas, and Japan, and is now working as an Art and Culture Program Officer at the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles.
| Date | Topic | RSVP Link |
| November 12, 2025 | Before and During the Asuka Period | RSVP |
| December | Nara Period | --- |
| January 2026 | Heian Period | --- |
| February | Kamakura Period | --- |
| March | From the Muromachi to Edo Periods | --- |
| April | Modern and Contemporary Sculpture | --- |
