The Living Land: Kami and Sacred Places in the [Medieval] Japanese Imagination

A central feature of Japanese culture for many centuries, the veneration of kami deities—a practice often referred to as Shinto—has been a driving force behind a broad range of visual art. This vividly illustrated lecture explores the significance of painting, sculpture, architecture, and the decorative arts within kami veneration traditions. The talk considers how the sacred was imagined and made visible in premodern Japan, especially at sites thought to be points of possible connection with the divine. Kevin Gray Carr is associate professor in the History of Art Department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he teaches all aspects of the history of Japanese art and archaeology. He is the co-author of the exhibition catalogue Shinto: Discovery of the Divine in Japanese Art. Free; ticket required.