MELBOURNE CHAPTER CEYLON SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA

At our next meeting
Wayne Crothers
will present an illustrated talk
“In the Steps of the Buddha:
A focus on Buddhist Art in the NGV Collection”

Buddhism originated in India in the 6th century B.C. and was gradually transmitted to the rest of Asia. Early stylistic developments of Buddhism took place on its journey out of India and trans migration into China, Japan and Sri Lanka. For the first 500-700 years Buddhist iconography was nonfigurative; wheel of law, bodhi tree, footprints or pagodas as reliquaries holding relics of the Buddha or an important monk. It was only in the first or second century AD that the initial figurative sculptures appeared in two different styles produced at two different locations – Gandhara (present day Afghanistan) and Mathura (Indian). Buddhism was introduced from India to Sri Lanka in the second century, and via Central Asian trade routes to China as early as the first century and then to Korea and Japan
in the sixth century. No later than the seventh century, Buddhism was introduced to Tibet from Nepal and China, where a specific school of Buddhism, known as Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism, became the dominant religion. In this talk Wayne will discuss the transmission of Buddhism with leading examples of Buddhist art in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).

Wayne Crothers
is Senior Curator, Asian Art at the National Gallery of Victoria. He spent eighteen years living in Japan and researching historical sites throughout Asia. He has engaged in two years research at Kyoto Seika University, completed a Master of Fine Art Degree at Tama Art University in Tokyo, has lectured for six years at Musashino Art University in Tokyo, and held guest lecturing residencies at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, China; Australian National University, Canberra and the Joan Miro Foundation, Spain. He has published widely on Asian works in the NGV collection and overseen several NGV exhibitions.

Sunday, 24th July 2022, 5.00pm
at ASHWOOD HALL 2 (small hall)
21a Electra Avenue, Ashwood
for enquiries contact Hemal 0427 725 740