What is the significance of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in the context of Japanese art and culture, and how did artists like Hokusai and Hiroshige contribute to its development?
How do traditional Japanese art forms, such as sumi-e (ink painting) and shodo (calligraphy), reflect the principles of Zen Buddhism and Japanese aesthetics like wabi-sabi?
How does Japanese art incorporate and portray elements of nature, and what role do these natural themes play in the broader scope of Japanese artistic expression?
In what ways have Oceanic art and artifacts, like those from Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, been used to convey social status and spiritual beliefs?
How did pre-Columbian civilizations in the Americas, such as the Maya, Aztec, and Inca, use art and architecture to represent their worldview and cosmology?
What impact did European colonization have on the indigenous art traditions in Southeast Asia and Oceania, and how are these effects reflected in contemporary art practices?
How have contemporary American artists from diverse cultural backgrounds incorporated traditional styles and themes into modern art movements and what message do they convey through this synthesis?
