Embodied in Wood and Stone: Exploring the Indigenous Sculpture of Indonesia

Stretching through a vast arc from Sumatra eastwards to western New Guinea, the islands of Indonesia are home to a rich diversity of cultures and artistic traditions, many of which remain little known in the West. The enduring powers of the beliefs of the people of these diverse Indonesian cultures are embodied and expressed by indigenous artists in many ways, from intricately detailed carvings of human and animal forms, to massive natural stones erected as megaliths. Featuring images of works from across the archipelago, the lecture will explore the cultural origins and meanings of the unique forms and imagery of Indonesia’s diverse indigenous sculptural traditions. Eric Kjellgren is the Evelyn A. J. Hall & John A. Friede Associate Curator for Oceanic Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.