Fellows and their Research

Jungeun Lee on the narrative of display

I came as a Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellowship to the Sainsbury Institute immediately after completing my doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh in spring 2017. Here, I have been able to focus on writing a book manuscript and articles while sharing my research with Japanese specialists and scholars in the UK.

Over the past eight months, Norwich has provided a nourishing environment for me to start building my career as an art historian. I have treasured my space in the Cathedral complex, where I was able to pursue new insights and break new ground. After eight years in the US, moving to this vibrant academic and cultural atmosphere in the UK fuelled me with inspiration for my research on the material and visual culture of premodern Japan and facilitated my growth as an art historian.

One of the most exciting aspects of my time here has been the opportunity to share my research with Japanese specialists. As part of my fellowship, I was invited to give a talk in February called “Collecting China, Displaying Authority: Formal Display during Imperial Visits to Ashikaga Shoguns” at Cambridge University. Attendees to the talk were mostly premodern Japanese historians and literature specialists, not art historians, and I was able to gather critical comments and questions from the audience, which made me to consider the topic in broader contexts.

I also organised the international symposium “Display as Ensemble: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Display in Premodern Japan,” held on June 15 at the Institute. This brought together scholars from the fields of Japanese history, art history, architectural history, and religious studies to explore new directions for the critical studies of spatial and interior displays from an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective. I am grateful to the cooperative efforts of distinguished scholars and support from the Institute staff to bring this event to fruition.

Furthermore, I look forward to presenting on June 21, as part of the Third Thursday Lecture series. A talk entitled “The Sinan Shipwreck and Material Culture of Maritime Trade in Medieval Japan” will share my recent research on various items recovered from the wreck that will shed light on the material culture of maritime trade between China and Japan. I welcome all to attend and look forward to meeting you.

Jungeun Lee
Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellow, 2017-2018