The Arts of Devotion is a five-year initiative at the National Museum of Asian Art that has been generously funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. The Arts of Devotion aims to further civil discourse around religion through the museum’s collections of Hindu and Buddhist art and arts of the Islamic world.
The Arts of Devotion focuses on the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. These religions are living traditions that have origins in the broad geographic area of Asia and are now global religions found in numerous countries, including the United States. The Arts of Devotion initiative engages with communities from these religious traditions as well as with other key communities to help deepen our ability to tell stories about these artworks. These are stories of continuity and disruption, of travel and transformation. These artworks live in the museum but have lives that extend far beyond its physical walls.
The Arts of Devotion includes four exhibitions and a learning resource that explore different expressions of belief, behavior, and belonging.
Exhibitions
Mind Over Matter: Zen in Medieval Japan brings together works of Zen Buddhism in medieval Japan, digital tools, and contemporary community voices.
Revealing Krishna: Journey to Cambodia’s Sacred Mountain transports visitors to the floodplains of southern Cambodia, where a monumental sculpture of the Hindu god Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan once stood.
Beyond Rumi, a fully digital exhibition, highlights Sufism in its diversity and multiplicity around the world.Coming soon.
Krishna’s Path of Grace explores the meaning and presence of Krishna through pichwai—monumental temple hangings—and stories of his feats through exquisite court paintings.Coming soon.
Learning Resource
Teaching Asian Religions is an educational hub for teachers, students, and visitors to understand objects related to the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.Coming soon.
Additional Resources
Programs
Explore past events and register for future public programs
(In Person) Sacred Art from Cambodia: Blessing Ceremony
Saturday, May 14, 2022, 2 pm
Register here.
Join us for a communal blessing ceremony for the exhibition Revealing Krishna: Journey to Cambodia’s Sacred Mountain, on view from April 30 to September 18, 2022. Led by two monks from the Cambodian Buddhist temple Watt Buddhacheya Mongkol in Woodbridge, Virginia, the ceremony uses practices such as chanting, sprinkling water, and specific hand gestures to confer protection and good luck. Afterwards, enjoy Cambodian-inspired refreshments by Oh Graze Away and Little Lana’s Cookies. Then come inside to experience the exhibition and meet curator Emma Natalya Stein and praCh Ly, director of the documentary film Satook, which explores the transformation of religious traditions in Cambodian American communities.
In case of rain, this event will take place inside the museum.
Image courtesy of praCh Ly
(In Person) Gallery Talk: Meet Filmmaker praCh Ly
Saturday, May 14, 2022, 3 pm
Join us in the museum galleries for an informal Q&A with film director praCh Ly, who directed the short documentary Satook, which examines the transformation of religious traditions in Cambodian American communities through the ruptures of war and immigration. The film centers on four intimate conversations with survivors and members of the diaspora who left the country as a result of the Khmer Rouge genocide. They share their personal experiences and memories of their parents and reflect on their communities and journeys of belief. The film also examines the contemporary meanings of ancient sacred sites in Cambodia and considers more broadly the diversity and complexities of religion in four different locations in the United States. Satook will play continuously in the gallery as part of the exhibition Revealing Krishna: Journey to Cambodia’s Sacred Mountain.
praCh Ly is a critically acclaimed and award-winning artist. First known as a musician, his debut album was the first number one rap album in Cambodia. Through masterful lyrics, his music not only entertains but also educates. His involvement in film has ranged from scoring and creating original music to producing and directing projects, including Enemies of the People and In the Life of Music. He is also the co-founder and co-director of the Cambodia Town Film Festival in Long Beach, California.
Image courtesy of praCh Ly
Cherry Blossom Outdoor Concert—Crossroads of Japanese Music: Yumi Kurosawa and Friends
Saturday, April 3 at 3pm
Join us in the museum’s garden for a special outdoor concert in celebration of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Japanese musician and composer Yumi Kurosawa performs on a modern twenty-string koto and is joined by violinist Emil Israel Chudnovsky and Chinese flute (dizi) virtuoso Yimin Miao. Their program features classical music from Japan and China as well as new music composed by Kurosawa for this event inspired by the Freer Gallery of Art exhibition Mind Over Matter: Zen in Medieval Japan.
Related Material
Find out more from The Arts of Devotion
Voices of Zen: Contemporary Perspectives on Medieval Japanese Zen
Watch the trailer for “Satook,” directed by praCh Ly
How Does an Ink Painting Come Together?
Ways to Get Involved
Engage with us through community events
Press
Keep up with us in the news
You May Also Like
Discover more of what the National Museum of Asian Art has to offer
Religion and Spirituality in the Museum
Music From Japan: Teruhisa Fukuda, shakuhachi, and Shihou Kineya, shamisen
Teaching China with the Smithsonian
Credits
The Arts of Devotion is a five-year initiative at the National Museum of Asian Art dedicated to furthering civic discourse and understanding of religion. This initiative is made possible by
