Chelsea Foxwell

Chelsea Foxwell is Professor of Art History, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and the College at the University of Chicago, where she also serves as Director of the Center for East Asian Studies. She is affiliated with multiple academic units including the Committee on Japanese Studies, the Center for the Art of East Asia, and the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality.

Her research focuses on Japanese art history, with particular emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries, Edo-period paintings and prints, and artistic interactions in East Asia. Her scholarly interests span from medieval through modern periods of Japanese art, examining how traditional forms evolved in response to modernization and international exchange.

Her extensive publication record reveals a trajectory from early work on museum studies and cultural preservation to more recent examinations of contemporary Japanese art exhibitions and their relationship to tradition. Her research consistently explores how Japanese artistic traditions have been maintained, transformed, and reinterpreted across historical periods, with particular attention to the Meiji era as a pivotal moment of cultural transition.

Dr. Foxwell has made significant contributions through exhibition curation, including Meiji Modern: Fifty Years of New Japan (co-curated with Dr. Bradley Bailey) and Awash in Color: French and Japanese Prints (co-curated with Anne Leonard at the Smart Museum of Art). Her work bridges academic scholarship with public engagement through these major exhibitions.

She is actively involved in digital humanities projects, contributing to the Digital Scrolling Paintings and Reading Kuzushiji initiatives, which demonstrate her commitment to innovative approaches for studying and presenting Japanese art history.