معرفی
Richard Bullen is an Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Canterbury's Faculty of Arts, where he has been employed since April 2004 and will assume the role of Head of Department in July 2025. He also serves as a Research Fellow at Canterbury Museum and Honorary Curator of Asian Collections at MTG Hawke's Bay.
Professor Bullen's research primarily focuses on Japanese art and aesthetics, and Chinese art collections in New Zealand. His work examines museum diplomacy, particularly through the Rewi Alley Collection at Canterbury Museum, which he has extensively catalogued with Associate Professor James Beattie. His research spans cultural diplomacy during the Cold War, Japanese POW art created in New Zealand camps, and the aesthetics of Japanese tea gardens with Chinese influences.
His publication record reveals a strong focus on transnational cultural exchange between Asia and Australasia, particularly examining how art functions as diplomatic currency and cultural bridge. Recent works increasingly explore Japanese POW art and Cold War-era cultural diplomacy, demonstrating his commitment to uncovering overlooked historical narratives through material culture.
- Ockham NZ book awards longlist (for New China Eyewitness)
- 2018 Publishers Association of New Zealand best book award
- 2018 Publishers Association of New Zealand people's choice award
- 2019 CAA-Getty International Scholar
- Marsden Grant by Royal Society of New Zealand ($434,000)
Professor Bullen actively supervises numerous graduate students across various research topics in Asian art history, with current projects examining Japanese tea ceremony, classical antiquities in New Zealand museums, and Chinese cultural elements in Japanese art. His professional activities include frequent media appearances, exhibition curation, and international conference presentations that extend his scholarly impact beyond academia.
