Celebration: Recognizing Asian Art and Religion in the RISD Special Collections and Liberal Arts Classroom
May 16 - July 16, 2025, Curated by Aditya Bhattacharjee, Assistant Professor in HPSS, and Emma Metcalfe Hurst, Special Collections Librarian / Archivist 2024-25

This exhibition explores the spiritual, cultural, and diasporic currents that have shaped religious identity and artistic expression across South and East Asia. It particularly highlights the interwoven legacies of Buddhism, Hinduism, and various Chinese religions in these regions of the world’s largest continent. Curated by RISD faculty and librarians, the featured works place materials from the Fleet Library’s Special Collections alongside artworks produced by students learning about Asian religion and philosophy in courses offered at the Department of History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences (HPSS).

Together, the pieces reflect on how the visual and symbolic presence of supernatural entities in Asian traditions have inspired the creative practices of artists from Asia and its diasporas. By placing historical artifacts alongside personal interpretations from the contemporary moment, this exhibition invites viewers to consider how ideas of “Asia” have been created, contested, and celebrated in experiences of religion, migration, and artistic engagement. How do these diverse spiritual and cultural identities evolve across time and place?

This exhibition is presented throughout the month of May in celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiians, & Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, honoring the diversity, resilience, and creativity of our AANHPI communities who comprise 30% of RISD’s undergraduate population.