The Fundamentals of Chinese Art
Your Instructor
PhD in Art History
University of California, Berkeley
William Ma is an art historian of China specializing in the artistic exchanges between China and the world in the late-imperial and modern periods. His research interests include material culture, theories of ornament, colonial representations, Jesuit missionary art, Cantonese export art, and Qing court arts. Recently, he has been extending his research into Vietnam, examining the court arts of the Nguyen dynasty between Sinitic aspiration and French colonial imposition. He is the co-curator of a major upcoming exhibition at the National Museum of Asian Art on the visual and material cultures of Chinatowns. After receiving his Ph.D. in art history at UC Berkeley in 2016, he has taught Asian art history at the University of San Francisco, Lewis and Clark College, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Louisiana State University. Ma has also worked at the Peabody Essex Museum, Las Vegas Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim-Hermitage Museum.
What you'll learn
Learn to identify major Chinese artistic formats and materials.
Learn to identify stylistic and formal traits in Chinese visual arts.
Gain a basic understanding of important ideas in Chinese art.
Be able to recognize major works of art in the art historical canon.
Learn to appreciate other Chinese works of art through close looking and critical engagement.
Course Schedule
Though many kinds of materials used in Chinese arts are also found in other artistic traditions, some are truly unique and highly sought-after, such as porcelain, silk, and paper. Knowing their physical traits and how they were created directly impacts how we view and understand the resulting artworks.
What You Get
Live interactive sessions
Engage in real-time discussions with expert instructors
Small discussion groups
Up to 15 students for personalized attention
Session recordings
Review and revisit class content anytime
Dedicated platform
Track progress and organize your schedule
Frequently asked questions
Course-specific questions
Your Instructor
PhD in Art History
University of California, Berkeley
William Ma is an art historian of China specializing in the artistic exchanges between China and the world in the late-imperial and modern periods. His research interests include material culture, theories of ornament, colonial representations, Jesuit missionary art, Cantonese export art, and Qing court arts. Recently, he has been extending his research into Vietnam, examining the court arts of the Nguyen dynasty between Sinitic aspiration and French colonial imposition. He is the co-curator of a major upcoming exhibition at the National Museum of Asian Art on the visual and material cultures of Chinatowns. After receiving his Ph.D. in art history at UC Berkeley in 2016, he has taught Asian art history at the University of San Francisco, Lewis and Clark College, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Louisiana State University. Ma has also worked at the Peabody Essex Museum, Las Vegas Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim-Hermitage Museum.