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Dr Theodor Dunkelgrün is a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher at Trinity College, University of Cambridge , and Academic Co-Ordinator of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation-funded project Religious Diversity and the Secular University (2017–2022) at CRASSH. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow at St John’s College (2013–2018) and has taught across History, Divinity, and Classics at Cambridge, Bryn Mawr, UPenn, and the University of Antwerp. Education : Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet (The Hague), Leiden University, University of Chicago (PhD, 2012). Visiting graduate work at Princeton (2005–06) and Oxford (2008). Research Focus : Intersections of biblical scholarship, history of the book, and interfaith intellectual exchange (1450–1900), particularly in the Low Countries and Mediterranean World. Examines how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars engaged with the Hebrew Bible through technological shifts (print to photography) and institutional contexts. Publications include edited volumes like The Jewish Bookshop of the World (2020) and Bastards and Believers (2020), alongside articles on topics ranging from the Antwerp Polyglot Bible to Jewish converts in early modern Europe. Collaborations span institutions in Taiwan, Oxford, and Leiden, with ongoing work on global philological practices and the Hebrew Bible’s material history. Professional Engagement : Co-founded the Cambridge Seminar in Early Modern Scholarship and Religion (2017), and actively promotes academic freedom through refugee scholar initiatives. Affiliated with the Cambridge Forum for Jewish Studies, Centre for Material Texts, and international networks like EMoDiR and Ideas in Motion.

• Cultural History
• Intellectual History
• Biblical Scholarship
• +7 more

Michele Matteini serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Art History at New York University's College of Arts and Science, specializing in Late Imperial Chinese painting and material culture (ca. 1400-1800) with focus on Qing dynasty antiquarianism, collecting practices, and eighteenth-century transnational artistic exchanges. His academic credentials include: Ph.D. (2012) in History of Art from the Institute of Fine Arts M.A. (2004) in History of Art from New York University B.A. (2000) summa cum laude from the University of Venice, Ca’ Foscari Research interests encompass Late Imperial Chinese painting, antiquarianism, collecting culture, Qing history, urban culture, inter-Asian artistic exchanges, eighteenth-century globalism, craft traditions, embodied knowledge, and art historical methodology. His interdisciplinary approach bridges anthropology, religious studies, and art history to examine material culture across East Asia. Recent publications reveal consistent thematic focus on eighteenth-century material practices, analyzing antiquarian objects, historical figure cults, and cross-cultural artistic production. Works integrate art historical analysis with anthropological perspectives on topics like rock collecting, filial piety, and sacred materiality, demonstrating how objects functioned within social and global contexts. His scholarly recognition includes: The Andrew Mellon Foundation Fellowship for Assistant Professors, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton (2013-2014) Ittleson Fellowship, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art (2007-2009) Panofsky Distinguished Fellowship, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University (2002-2007) Matteini's research has been supported by major fellowships from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and National Gallery of Art. While current advising activities and grant projects beyond these fellowships are not detailed in available sources, his extensive publication record indicates sustained scholarly productivity focused on East Asian material culture.

• Late Imperial Chinese painting and material culture
• antiquarianism and collecting culture
• Qing history
• +6 more

Kuiyi Shen is Professor of Asian Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where he also serves as Vice Chair and Director of the PhD Program in the Department of Visual Arts. He is affiliated with the Division of Arts and Humanities and maintains an active research, teaching, and curatorial practice focused on Chinese and Japanese art, particularly modern and contemporary Chinese art and Sino-Japanese artistic exchanges. BA in Fine Arts, Shanghai Normal University MA and PhD in Art History, The Ohio State University Shen's research centers on the evolution of Chinese art in the modern era, with emphasis on ink art, unofficial art movements, and the interplay between tradition and modernity. His work explores how political, social, and transnational forces have shaped artistic expression in China, particularly during transformative periods such as the late Qing, Republican era, and post-Cultural Revolution decades. He is deeply engaged in the study of literati painting, Buddhist art, and mass visual culture, including posters and illustrated magazines. The 15 most recent publications and exhibition catalogs reflect a consistent focus on modern and contemporary Chinese ink art, unofficial art practices, and cross-cultural dialogues. Key themes include the reinvention of tradition, the role of Japan in modern Chinese art, and the emergence of independent artistic voices during politically repressive periods. His scholarly output spans academic monographs, co-edited volumes, and curatorial projects that bridge East and West. Notable scientific achievement: 2013 ICAS Book Prize in Humanities for Arts of Modern China Shen has advised numerous exhibition projects and served on international juries, including the Guggenheim Museum and the International Awards for Art Criticism. He has held academic positions at Ohio University, SUNY Buffalo, Rice University, and the University of Oregon before joining UCSD. He is Managing Editor of Brill’s Modern Asian Art and Visual Culture book series, underscoring his leadership in the global academic community. His teaching includes courses on Chinese and Japanese art, landscape painting, and contemporary art and mass culture. Shen has curated or consulted on over 20 major exhibitions worldwide, including A Century in Crisis (Guggenheim), Blooming in the Shadows (China Institute), and Light before Dawn (Asia Society), demonstrating his dual expertise in scholarship and curatorial practice.

• Asian Art History
• Chinese Art
• Japanese Art
• +12 more

O.J. (Oliver) Moore is a Professor and Chair of Chinese Language & Culture at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Arts. His expertise spans Art History of China, early/modern Chinese history, archaeology, and material culture. He holds a PhD from Cambridge University and has held roles at Leiden University, the British Museum, and Kyoto University. His research integrates historical, technical, and aesthetic aspects of Chinese art and culture, with a focus on photography, printing systems, and classical texts. Education: Studied Chinese at London University (SOAS) and Fudan University (Shanghai), PhD at Cambridge on Tang Dynasty civil service recruitment rituals. Teaching includes modern Chinese language, East Asian art/media, and thesis writing. He supervises PhD projects on Chinese art collecting in the Netherlands and collaborates internationally on courses like 'Chinese Gardens in Europe.' Key publications: Photography in China: Science, Commerce and Communication (2022), translations of Tang-era texts, and studies on Tang art and archaeology. Research emphasizes demystifying Chinese culture through translation and cross-disciplinary approaches. Past roles include Curator at the Netherlands Museum of Ethnology and Visiting Professor at Kyoto University.

• Art History of China
• Early and Modern Chinese History
• Archaeology of China/East Asia
• +6 more

Panpan Yang is a Lecturer in Arts and Visual Cultures of Modern China at the School of Arts, SOAS University of London. She joined SOAS in 2021 after completing her joint PhD at the University of Chicago under the direction of Wu Hung, Tom Gunning, W. J. T. Mitchell, Judith Zeitlin, and Dana Polan. Her interdisciplinary work bridges art history, screen studies, East Asian studies, and digital humanities, with a focus on innovative methodologies in art historical writing. Dr. Yang earned a dual BA from Peking University, double majoring in art and philosophy, followed by an MA from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, and a PhD from the University of Chicago. During her undergraduate studies, she served as president of the Society of Dream of the Red Chamber Studies, which informed her secondary academic interest in Redology and the visual material world of the novel Hong lou meng. Panpan Yang's research explores how minor discourses can deterritorialize the terrains of both art history and screen studies. Her work demonstrates a multimethodological approach attentive to archival research, material practices, close visual analysis, computer-aided vision, and cross-cultural theorization. She is particularly interested in Chinese animation history, calligraphic imagination in contemporary art, and the intersections between traditional Chinese art forms and new media. Her publications reveal a consistent focus on Chinese visual culture across multiple media forms, with particular attention to animation, film, and calligraphy. Yang's work demonstrates how traditional Chinese art forms engage with contemporary digital media, creating new hybrid forms that challenge disciplinary boundaries. Her research shows a trajectory from historical analysis of Chinese animation to contemporary explorations of calligraphy in digital contexts, revealing the ongoing relevance of traditional Chinese aesthetics in modern media. Dr. Yang has received several prestigious awards for her scholarly and creative work: China's National Young Screenwriter Award Domitor Essay Award Dean's Distinguished Dissertation Award Nomination Honourable Mention from the Association for Chinese Animation Studies As a Principal Investigator, Dr. Yang leads the AHRC-funded research project "Stroke by Stroke: Calligraphic imagination in contemporary Chinese art and emergent media" (2023-25) with Shane McCausland. She was also a collaborating partner on the NEH-funded "Media Ecology Project." Her research has received additional support from the Getty Foundation and the Sino-British Fellowship Trust. At SOAS, she works closely with faculty and graduate students interested in Chinese arts and cultures, art theory, cinematic arts, and digital art history. Dr. Yang is currently developing innovative research at the intersection of traditional Chinese calligraphy and contemporary digital media through her AHRC-funded project. This work explores how calligraphic imagination manifests in contemporary art and emergent media contexts, creating new pathways for understanding Chinese cultural heritage in the digital age.

• Art History
• Screen Studies
• Chinese Visual Culture
• +7 more

Prof Andrew Peacock holds the Bishop Wardlaw Professorship in the School of History at the University of St Andrews. His research focuses on Islamic and Middle Eastern history, with a particular emphasis on medieval Anatolia, Persian manuscripts, and the cultural exchanges in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. He has supervised PhD students including Hebah Alheem, Ali Shapouran, and Weijie Xu. His recent publications explore Arabic literary culture in 17th-18th century Southeast Asia, Melaka’s historical sources, and the memoirs of Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp I. Key projects include the ERC-funded 'IslamAnatolia' initiative (2012-2017) and a British Academy grant for studying Arabic language in early modern Southeast Asia. His work often bridges historical analysis with material culture, such as his edited volume on medieval Islamic inscriptions (2023). Prof Peacock’s research also engages with transnational themes, including Ottoman-Darfur diplomacy and the role of urban notables in medieval Anatolia.

• Islamic History
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Southeast Asian History
• +6 more

Lara C. W. Blanchard is the Luce Professor of East Asian Art and Lloyd Wright Professor in Conservative Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where she has been a faculty member since 2001. She holds a Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Michigan and specializes in Chinese pictorial arts from the Song dynasty to the present. Her interdisciplinary research integrates art history, gender studies, and literary analysis. Her education includes: Ph.D., Art History, University of Michigan (2001) M.A., Art History, University of Michigan (1992) B.A., Art History and Mathematics, College of William & Mary (1988) Her research focuses on gender in Chinese art, particularly women as artists and patrons, text-image relationships, and the construction of gendered subjectivity in painting and poetry. She examines how visual culture reflects and constructs ideals of femininity and masculinity, especially during the Song dynasty. Her work often bridges art historical analysis with literary and philosophical contexts, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches. Her recent publications and lectures reveal a strong trend in analyzing emotional interiority, political allegory, and gendered representation in East Asian visual culture. She frequently explores how poetic themes are visualized in painting and how female subjectivity is constructed across historical periods. Her scientific awards include: 2020 Joseph Levenson Pre-1900 Book Prize (China) 2016 Franklin R. Buchanan Prize for Asia Curriculum Materials 2020 Faculty Prize for Scholarship, HWS Lloyd Wright Professorship in Conservative Studies (2018–) Lara Blanchard has been actively involved in mentoring through curriculum development, textbook authorship, and graduate advising. She has received multiple research grants from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and external foundations such as the Freeman Foundation. Her collaborative projects, such as the textbook Asian Art , demonstrate her commitment to pedagogy and accessible scholarship. She is affiliated with several academic organizations, including the Association for Asian Studies, College Art Association, and Cornell University’s East Asia Program as an Associate in Research. She has delivered lectures at institutions like Stanford, Princeton, and the University of Kansas, and has participated in panels and symposia on gender, Buddhism, and visual culture in Asia.

• Chinese Art History
• Gender and Art
• Song Dynasty Painting
• +7 more

Kathryn Babayan is a Professor at the University of Michigan , affiliated with the Middle East Studies department. Her research focuses on the cultural, social, and political histories of the Persianate world, particularly Iran, Iraq, Anatolia, and Central Asia. Her work integrates gender and sexuality studies , Safavid dynasty analysis , and material culture approaches to explore historical narratives. She is currently researching literacy practices in early modern Isfahan through her book The City as Anthology , examining how anthologies (majmu'a/muraqqa') reshaped urban experience and individual sovereignty. Collaborations include co-authoring Slaves of the Shah with Susan Babaie, Massumeh Farhad, and Ena Baghdiantz-McCabe, and co-editing Islamicate Sexualities with Afsaneh Najmabadi. Her publications bridge historiography , religion , and visual culture .

• Iranian History
• Persianate World
• Cultural Studies
• +7 more

Elizabeth (Lisa) Alexandrin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religion at the Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba . Her academic work bridges Islamic Studies , Sufism , and gender theory , with a focus on visual and textual representations of mysticism. Education: PhD in Islamic Studies, McGill University (2006) MA in Anthropology, University of Toronto (1993) BA in Anthropology, Boston University (1993) Research Interests: Islamic intellectual history Sufism Ismaili thought Body histories Visual piety Key Themes in Publications: Apocalyptic narratives in Fāṭimid Ismāʿīlī thought Qurʾanic calligraphy as spiritual practice Symbolism of walāyah (sainthood) in Sufi texts Intersection of dreams and mystical exegesis Awards: SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2018-2022) Explore SSHRC/University of Manitoba grant (2021-2022) SSHRC standard research grant (2011-2012)

• Islamic Intellectual History
• Sufism
• Ismaili Thought
• +2 more

Peyvand Firouzeh is a Senior Lecturer in Islamic Art History at the University of Sydney, specializing in medieval and early modern Islamic art and architecture. She holds a BA and MA from the University of Art in Tehran and a MPhil/PhD from the University of Cambridge (Camb.). Her research focuses on Sufi material cultures, Indian Ocean artistic exchanges, and the intersection of art with politics and religion in the Islamic world. She is a member of the Vere Gordon Childe Centre and affiliated with the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Sydney Asian Art Series. Dr. Firouzeh’s current projects include a monograph on Ne’matullahi shrines (Indiana UP, 2025) and a DECRA-funded study on fifteenth-century Deccan art networks. Her teaching emphasizes object-based learning, addressing contemporary issues like cultural heritage restitution and Islamophobia. She has received major grants from the Australian Research Council, Getty Foundation, and British Museum. Key Awards: DECRA (2023–2026), Getty Scholar Grant (2022–2023), Sydney Teaching Excellence Award (2022) Research Groups: Association for the Study of Persianate Societies, Power Institute’s Sydney Asian Art Series

• Islamic Art
• Medieval and Early Modern Architecture
• Material Cultures of Sufism
• +3 more

Prof. Dr. Lorenz Korn is a Professor of Islamic Art History and Archaeology at Otto-Friedrich University Bamberg since 2003. His academic journey includes studies at the University of Tübingen and Oxford, followed by postdoctoral research at Harvard University. He specializes in medieval Islamic architecture, focusing on Egypt, Syria, Iran, and Central Asia, with particular attention to religious symbolism, epigraphy, and material culture. His research spans projects funded by institutions such as the DFG and Gerda Henkel Foundation, including studies on Mongol migration routes in Iran, Seljuk mosque architecture, and the Rabʿ-i Rashidi in Tabriz. He has led archaeological expeditions in Iran, Oman, and Spain, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches combining art history with archaeology and scientific analysis. Key research interests include Islamic metalwork, stucco decoration techniques, and the role of inscriptions in architectural context. Korn has authored over 60 publications, including monographs on Ayyubid architecture and co-edited volumes on Islamic art and archaeology. His work bridges scholarly rigor with public engagement, evident in exhibitions and educational outreach. Recent projects include dendrochronological analysis of the Alhambra dome and field research in Spain’s Aljarafe region. He advises students in the Islamic Art History and Archaeology master’s program, fostering next-generation scholars through hands-on training in fieldwork and artifact analysis.

• Islamic Architecture
• Islamic Metalwork
• Religious Symbolism in Islam
• +3 more

Fahmida Suleman is Senior Curator of Islamic Art & Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and holds a non-budgetary cross-appointment as Associate Professor at the University of Toronto (Department of Near and Middle East Civilizations and Art History). She specializes in medieval and contemporary Islamic art, with a focus on the Fatimid period , Shi‘i material culture , and Islamic iconography , particularly textiles and jewelry from the Middle East and Central Asia. Education : DPhil and MSt in Islamic Art & Archaeology from the University of Oxford; BA Hons in Islamic and Religious Studies from the University of Toronto. Her research integrates fieldwork on female silversmithing traditions in Oman and exhibitions like Being and Belonging (2023–2024), Picnics and Pastimes (2024–2025), and the forthcoming The Indian Ocean: Monsoon Worlds (2026). She co-founded the Islamic Art and Material Culture Collaborative (IAMCC) to promote interdisciplinary research and curated the Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World at the British Museum. Her work bridges medieval Islamic art with modern diasporic narratives, emphasizing marginalized voices and cultural preservation. At the University of Toronto, she teaches courses on curating Islamic material culture and Islamic iconography . She is currently documenting the Widad Kawar Collection of Arab Dress and Heritage Arts and exploring food and hospitality cultures in the Middle East through material culture.

• Islamic Iconography
• Shi‘i Material Culture
• Textiles and Jewellery from the Middle East and Central Asia
• +4 more

Professor Shervin Farridnejad is a faculty member at the Asia-Africa Institute of the University of Hamburg, where he holds the Professorship of Iranian Studies since September 2022. He also serves as the Head of the MA program 'Manuscript Cultures' at the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC) within the Cluster of Excellence 'Understanding Written Artefacts'. PhD in Ancient and Middle Iranian Philology and Zoroastrian Studies (2014) - Georg-August University Göttingen MA in Ancient Iranian Studies (2007-2009) - Georg-August University Göttingen MA in Fine Arts and Art History (2003-2006) - Tarbiat Modares University Tehran BA in Fine Arts (Painting) (1998-2002) - Tehran University His research focuses on Zoroastrianism , particularly examining its cultural and religious history from antiquity to the early Islamic period. He investigates the dynamics between Zoroastrians and non-Zoroastrians, Zoroastrian art and iconography, and manuscript cultures. His work also extends to Judeo-Persian literature , Ancient Iranian philology , and Persian calligraphy . Recent publications highlight ritual practices in Zoroastrianism, including sacrificial food traditions and gift-exchange theology. The 2024 article on canine roles in Zoroastrian meat ethics and 2023 works on Safavid manuscript iconography demonstrate his interdisciplinary approach combining textual analysis with visual culture studies. 2022-2024: Editorial board member for Sasanian Studies series 2020-2023: Book Review Editor of the journal Iranian Studies 2016-2022: Co-editor of Ancient Iran Series 2015-2024: Contributor to Bibliographia Iranica and DABIR journals As an active academic leader, he serves as Sustainability Officer of the Asia-Africa Institute, member of the CSMC Steering Committee, and deputy member of the Faculty Council of Humanities at University of Hamburg. His teaching spans from introductory courses on Iranian history to specialized seminars on Zoroastrian rituals and Persian manuscript cultures.

• Iranian Cultural and Religious History
• Zoroastrianism
• Manuscript Cultures
• +4 more

Markus Nornes is a Professor of Asian Cinema at the University of Michigan, affiliated with the School of Art & Design, Department of Film, Television and Media, and Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. His research focuses on Japanese and broader Asian cinema, documentary filmmaking, and film translation theory. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in 1996 and has taught at Michigan since then. His work explores the political and ethical dimensions of nonfiction film, particularly in Japan's documentary history from the Meiji era through Hiroshima, and the evolution of screen translation. He advocates for 'abusive translation' to challenge conventional subtitling norms. Current projects include a critical biography of Adachi Masao and a multi-volume Japanese film theory translation collection. Recent publications include Brushed in Light (2021) on calligraphy in East Asian cinema, Hallyu 2.0 (2015) analyzing Korean media's digital expansion, and Forest of Pressure (2007) on Ogawa Shinsuke's collective. His Google Scholar profile reflects a career bridging film history, translation ethics, and transnational media studies. Faculty Research Grant for Taiwan Studies, Ministry of Education, Taiwan (2011) Visiting Professorship at Fudan University (2010) Edwin O. Reischauer Visiting Professor at Harvard (2008-2009) Japan Foundation Research Fellow (2004-2005) Fulbright Research Fellow (1999-2000) As a filmmaker, Nornes co-directed The Big House (2018) and When We're Together (2020), often collaborating with students. He has curated major film retrospectives at Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival and University of Michigan, specializing in Japanese and Asian nonfiction cinema. His digital humanities projects, such as the Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema online reprint, showcase his commitment to accessible film scholarship.

• Japanese Cinema
• Asian Cinema
• Documentary
• +4 more

Associate Professor Peter Pugsley is affiliated with the University of Adelaide's School of Humanities, within the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics. He holds the position of Associate Professor and previously served as Head of the Department of Media. His research focuses on Asian cinema, global cinema trends, popular culture, and media systems, with notable publications on Japanese high school films, cross-cultural cinematic exchanges, and Asian media policy. He teaches courses such as Asian Film Studies and Screenwriting, and has supervised numerous PhD/Masters candidates. He currently serves as President of the Screen Studies Association of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (SSAAANZ). Research Interests: Asian film aesthetics, cross-cultural media interactions, television studies, cultural policy, and Australia-Asia relations. His work spans Indian, Malaysian, Hong Kong, Singaporean, and Chinese media, including analyses of TV, film, and social media. Publications: His 15 most recent works (2023-2010) explore topics like East Asian calligraphy in cinema, French-Japanese film exchanges, and gender discourses in Tamil cinema. These contributions highlight transnational film dynamics, cultural symbolism, and media's role in shaping identity. Professional Activities: He has taught abroad at Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto) and contributes to community radio. His leadership in SSAAANZ underscores his influence in screen studies. No scientific awards are explicitly listed, but his prolific publication record reflects academic recognition. Advising & Grants: Supervises multiple graduate students on film and media topics. His teaching spans film theory, screenwriting, and global cinema approaches, reflecting his commitment to both research and pedagogy.

• Asian Film Studies
• Global Cinema
• Popular Culture
• +5 more