Journey and Sacred Site: Buddhism and Beyond

In Buddhism, as in many religions, pilgrimage to a sacred site has special significance. Sites linked to the life and experiences of the Buddha are especially meaningful, but others that historically hold import for Hindus and Jains are sometimes shared by Buddhists. The sacred journey has long provided important fodder for both Asian artists and this talk uses visually stunning and diverse works to illustrate the practice of Pilgrimage in Asia.

Adriana Proser is Mr. and Mrs. John Quincy Scott Curator of Asian Art at the Walters Art Museum. She holds a Ph.D. in Chinese Art and Archeology from Columbia University. She was John H. Foster Senior Curator at Asia Society Museum for 17 years prior to joining the Walters and Assistant Curator of East Asian prior to that at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She has organized and co-organized more than forty exhibitions featuring diverse works from all over Asia. At Asia Society, Proser served as the in-house and cocurator for such exhibitions as “The Art of Impermanence: Japanese Works from the John C. Weber Collection and Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection” and “Pilgrimage and Buddhist Art.” Her many publications include most recently Buddha and Shiva Lotus and Dragon: Masterworks from the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection at Asia Society (Asia Society, American Federation of Arts, and Hirmer, 2020).