Our Story & Missions
Established in 2012 with a generous endowment from The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, the Centre for Buddhist Art and Conservation is dedicated to interdisciplinary and trans-cultural research and the preservation of Buddhist cultural heritage. The Centre provides a unique platform for teaching art history and conservation of Buddhist heritage, facilitating interdisciplinary research and fostering international collaborative initiatives, as well as organising conferences, workshops, and public lectures.
Recognising the global significance of the vast cultural heritage of Buddhism in both Asia and in diasporic contexts, this Centre also oversees an innovative MA programme that combines, for the first time, the disciplines of Buddhist art history, its conservation, and Buddhism. Robert Y.C. Ho, chairman of the Ho Foundation, summarised the goals of the MA programme: “Until now, Buddhism and Buddhist art and its conservation have been studied separately. We are delighted to support the integration of these fields in a new programme that will impact not only on academia but also on the preservation of irreplaceable treasures around the world, treasures we see disappearing on a daily basis.”
Begun in 2013 and relaunched in 2022, the MA programme builds upon extensive experience of The Courtauld’s Wall Painting Conservation MA programme with long-term projects and teaching in Asia – at sites in China, India, and Bhutan. One such initiative is the collaboration with the Dunhuang Academy in China at the Mogao Grottoes, a World Heritage site in northwest China.
Teaching
MA Art History and Conservation of Buddhist Heritage
Supported by the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Global, the MA in Art History and Conservation of Buddhist Heritage at The Courtauld Institute of Art is a one-year programme that focuses on the study, preservation, and appreciation of cultural heritage created for and connected to the beliefs and practices of Buddhism. Unique in its concept, this interdisciplinary course was developed to respond to Buddhist heritage under threat, filling an identified gap in conservation education by equipping students with the theoretical and ethical knowledge and skills to meet the challenges surrounding its study and conservation, and to expand the horizons of traditional art historical training. The course bridges theory and practice and investigates key issues in the conservation and art historical study of Buddhist heritage, including religious practice and use, materiality and intangible values, impermanence, traditional knowledge systems, and stakeholder engagement. Furthermore, it offers an opportunity to expose students to concepts of ecological, economic, and social sustainability related to cultural heritage through the lens of Buddhism. The course builds upon the expertise of The Courtauld in art history and conservation, deepening its engagement with heritage by educating the next generation of professionals who will help to expand the ways in which we think about, study, appreciate, and preserve cultural heritage.
Past Events
Conferences
The Buddhist Art Forum, held in April 2012, was motivated by several factors: admiration for Buddhist art in its many and varied manifestations; concern about how much of this art is being damaged or lost; and a sense that its study, preservation and even presentation often involves peculiar difficulties beyond those normally encountered when dealing with other types of art. This sense was fuelled by the organisers’ direct engagement in the study and conservation of Buddhist art in situ, witnessing the difficulties at first hand and the variety of strongly held attitudes by those involved.
Publications
Wong, Lori, and Sujatha Arundathi Meegama. 2023. “An interdisciplinary approach: The MA program in Art History and Conservation of Buddhist Heritage at The Courtauld.” In Working Towards a Sustainable Past. ICOM-CC 20th Triennial Conference Preprints, Valencia, 18–22 September 2023, edited by J. Bridgland. Paris: International Council of Museums.
Park, David, Kuenga Wangmo, and Sharon Cather, eds. 2013. Art of Merit: Studies in Buddhist Art and its Conservation. Proceedings of the Buddhist Art Forum 2012. London: Archetype Publications.
Faculty affiliated with the Centre
PhD Students
International Study Trips
UK based Study Trips
Stay in Touch
The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Centre for Buddhist Art and Conservation, Vernon Square, Penton Rise, London WC1X 9EW