Academic Position • Professor of History and Art History at George Mason University, specializing in South and Southeast Asian Art History, with a particular focus on Buddhist art and visual culture. Education & Academic Career • Earned his Ph.D. from UCLA in South and Southeast Asian Art History. • Began his academic teaching career as a Lecturer at UCLA and Loyola Marymount University in 1998–1999, before joining George Mason University in 1999. He progressed from Assistant Professor (1999–2005) to Associate Professor (Tenured, 2005–2016), and then Professor since 2016. Research and Publications • Monographs: o Haunting the Buddha: Indian Popular Religions and the Formation of Buddhism (Oxford University Press, 2004)—explores how local spirit cults and popular religions influenced the early development of Buddhism. o Image Problems: The Origin and Development of the Buddha’s Image in Early South Asia (University of Washington Press, 2015)—examines the emergence of Buddha imagery and its cultural and historical contexts. • Edited Volumes: o Buddhism and The Senses (2024), co-edited with Donald S. Lopez Jr. o Across the South of Asia: A Volume in Honor of Robert L. Brown (2020), co-edited with Paul A. Lavy. • Selected Articles & Chapters: He has written extensively on topics such as the Naga imagery and rainmaking rituals, avoidance and use of imagery in early South Asia, and the archaeology of Buddhist image cults—appearing in varied academic publications and edited volumes. Exhibits & Public Scholarship • Co-curator of the "Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice across Asia" exhibition at the National Museum of Asian Art (Smithsonian Institution). • A frequent public speaker for the Smithsonian Associates and contributes to museum projects such as Paths to Perfection: Buddhist Art at the Freer/Sackler. Honors and Fellowships • George Mason University Teaching Excellence Award. • Research fellowships from the Asian Cultural Council, Getty Research Institute, and the ACLS / Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies. Teaching Areas • Courses taught include Arts of India, Arts of Southeast Asia, Survey of Asian Art, Cave Temples of Asia, Curating an Exhibit, and more. Position Professor, Department of History & Art History, George Mason University Education Ph.D., UCLA (South & Southeast Asian Art History) Specializations Early Buddhist art, figural imagery, popular religions, showcases Key Publications Haunting the Buddha (2004), Image Problems (2015), plus edited volumes Exhibitions Co-curator, Encountering the Buddha (Smithsonian Institution) Awards & Honors GMU Teaching Award; Fellowships from ACLS-Ho Family, Getty, etc.
Writes about
Jinamanjari
Vol. 13 · No. 01
Jinamanjari
Vol. 13 · No. 01
By Christopher Key Chapple, Thomas Mcevilley, Robert Decaroli