Sonya Lee

Dr. Sonya Lee is a Professor of Art History, East Asian Languages and Cultures, and Religion at the University of Southern California. She currently serves as Department Chair of East Asian Languages and Cultures, demonstrating her academic leadership. Her research focuses on religious art and architecture in China and Central Asia, with particular expertise in Buddhist visual culture.

• PhD in Art History from University of Chicago (2004)

Her scholarship explores the material culture of the ancient Silk Road, examining intersections between art, ecology, and heritage conservation. She has authored major publications on Buddhist cave temples and museum curation practices, including Temples in the Cliffside: Buddhist Art in Sichuan (2021) and Surviving Nirvana: Death of the Buddha in Chinese Visual Culture (2010).

Recent work includes a Scalar exhibition titled The Silk Roads: Connecting Communities, Markets, and Minds since Antiquity (2021-2022), showcasing her commitment to digital humanities projects. Her research spans topics like inscribed scriptures in cave temples, artistic appropriation in Dunhuang, and the display of Kucha murals in Western museums.