Art & Magic: Shaman Paintings of Korea

Dr. Laurel Kendall, Chair of the Division of Anthropology and Curator of Asian Ethnographic Collections at the American Museum of Natural History, Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University, and president–elect of the Association for Asian Studies, explores the divine nature of Korean shaman paintings in her new book, God Pictures in Korean Contexts: The Ownership and Meaning of Shaman Paintings, co-authored by Jongsung Yang, Director of the Museum of Shamanism in Seoul, and Yul Soo Yoon, Founder and Director of the Gahoe Museum.

What makes a shaman painting sacred? Can these art pieces ever be anything but magical? Dr. Laurel Kendall navigates the journey of shaman paintings as they pass hands from painters to shamans to art collectors. Join us to examine the boundary between the art world and tangible aspects of religious practice.