IN-PERSON LECTURE SERIES

Conversations on Japanese Art:
The Myriad Worlds of Manga

7:00 - 8:30 pm
Monthly In-Person Lecture Series

Free, RSVP Required

Manga has quickly become one of the most popular forms of picto-textual literature. It is consumed across the world in nearly every available format and has generated fandoms that engage with the narratives through their characters, worlds, and premises.

In recent years, manga has undergone rigorous academic analysis that has shown it to be an important vehicle for understanding Japanese culture. This is because the manga titles published during a certain time period may reflect the creators' values and perspectives in response to specific developments within Japanese society.

This monthly lecture series introduces the diverse narratives told through manga. Participants in these conversational lectures will be asked to read select titles in advance of the meetings to more deeply engage with the lecture contents.

LECTURER

Michael VanHartingsveldt

A PhD candidate in Art History at the University of Kansas, Michael VanHartingsveldt is currently writing his dissertation about the Buddhist sculptor profession in medieval Japan. In addition to his work as an Arts and Culture Program Officer at The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, he teaches the course Approaches to Manga at California State University, Long Beach, and Japanese Culture through Anime and Manga at Mt. San Antonio College.