Divine Bodies: Sacred Imagery in Asian Art

Divine Bodies is a thought-provoking book that explores intriguing questions raised by the sacred art traditions of Asia. Approximately 45 artworks from the Asian Art Museum's renowned collection show how artists have envisioned the divine, imbuing it with forms that are meant to reflect supernatural qualities. Additionally, 20 contemporary photographs suggest how some artists today deal with questions about the body and its manifold expressions. The book explores how ideal beauty is interpreted in different Asian cultures, how that beauty can be transformed by altering the forms of the body, how deities maintain their identity despite changes to their form and how divine beings are represented after their death.

Additional Information:

• Authors: Qamar Adamjee,  Malavalli Family Foundation associate curator of art of the Indian subcontinent, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; Jeffrey Durham, assistant curator of Himalayan art, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; Karin G. Oen, assistant curator of contemporary art, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
• 128 pages, softcover
• 8 1/2 x 10 inches