体 Modern Images of the Body from East Asia

体 Modern Images of the Body from East Asia looks at the multifaceted representations of the body in East Asia from the nineteenth century to the present. The character 体, used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages, serves as the point of departure for this project. First, it refers to the material existence of a person, such as in 身体 (human body) and 体格 (physique). In an abstract sense, it also connotes substance, form, and organizing principles, often conceived in collective and national contexts, such as in 体系 (system) and 国体 (national polity). 

The exhibition, therefore, explores not only portrayals of physical appearances in East Asia, but also how these images have come to symbolize identities and challenge conceptions of humankind.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website. 

Feodor Zakhotor Russian (?), 20th Century, Mrs. Artair Tullis, 1928; Watercolor on paperboard, 13 3/4 x 10 1/2 in. (34.9 x 26.7 cm) Gift of Mrs. Artair Ian Tullis (Nellie Joan Mari Olesen, class of 1913)

Felice Beato. British, born Italy, 1832–1909,  Sumotori or Wrestlers, 1866-1867. Hand-colored albumen print. Album page: 13 1/2 x 18 13/16 in. (34.3 x 47.8 cm); image: 6 3/4 x 10 11/16 in. (17.1 x 27.1 cm) Purchased with Hillyer-Tryon- Mather Fund, with funds given in memory of  Nancy Newhall (Nancy Parker, class of 1930) and in honor of Beaumont Newhall, and with funds given in honor of Ruth Wedgwood Kennedy