Art History

Faculty in Art History have a wide range of research interests across different regions and time periods. 

 [Please check faculty pages for specific areas of focus and potential supervisors: click here for individual faculty bio page]

We have particular strengths in contemporary exhibition histories, experimental new media practices, and transmedial approaches to the study of art histories and visual cultures. Other areas of interest include:

  1. Art and Architecture in Contemporary Asia
  2. Art and Technology
  3. Connective and Comparative Art Histories across the Global South
  4. Cross-Disciplinary Approaches to Art Historical Research and Pedagogy
  5. Curatorial Strategies
  6. Exhibition Histories
  7. Feminisms
  8. Gender Theories
  9. Histories of Collecting
  10. Inter-Asia Referencing and Decolonisng Art Histories and Canons in Southeast Asia
  11. Material Cultures in Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asia
  12. Modern Art and Architecture 
  13. Performativity and Performative Practices
MA Students 

  • Coursework Requirement: 3 Courses or 9 AUS 
  • Submit a Thesis before graduation, of approximately 30,000 words (max. 40,000 words), including notes, but excluding bibliography and appendices.
  • Students on scholarship will usually submit their thesis one year before the maximum period of candidature. 

MA students are required to take three (3) courses.

PhD Students 

  • Coursework Requirement: 6 Courses or 18 AUs 
  • Submit a Thesis before graduation 
  • Students on scholarship will usually submit their thesis one year before the maximum period of candidature. 

PhD students are required to take six (6) courses.

HR7001 Graduate Proseminar in History, Theory, and Criticism of Art (3 AUs)

Designed for graduate students engaged in original research in the field of Art History, this course offers an introduction to historiography, methods, and applied theory commensurate with graduate level research in the history, theory, and criticism of art. It draws upon the disciplinary traditions specific to art history as well as contemporary transdisciplinary approaches also found in visual and cultural studies. This background and perspective on research and writing is valuable in preparation for doctoral level research for students planning a career in academia, as well as those with plans for careers in museums and in the wider public spheres of curatorial practice and critical discourse.

HR7002 Directed Readings in Art History (3 AUs)

This course is designed to provide graduate students with a more individualized course of reading that goes beyond existing graduate courses. The students are expected to read widely in their chosen field under the guidance of their supervisor/instructor. Students may also explore another subfield or a differing approach to art history than what has already been covered in HR7001. This course will expand the range of research possibilities for graduate students from other disciplines and schools, particularly for those who are interested in developing inter‐disciplinary methodologies and approaches taken from art history. The content and individual requirements of each directed reading course are determined by the student in consultation with his/her supervisor/instructor. The reading list, written work, and meeting times will be negotiated between the supervisor/instructor and the student. The final detailed syllabus will be subjected to the HOD’s approval, prior to the course commencement.

HR7003 Advanced Studies in Southeast Asian Art Histories (3 AUs)

In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in researching the histories of Southeast Asia’s modern and contemporary arts, including among students and scholars, artists and curators, within and beyond the region. What special skills are required for advanced studies in Southeast Asian art histories? What methodologies are most appropriate, and what theoretical and conceptual challenges must we grapple with when researching in this field? Addressing these and related questions, this course is designed for students with a solid background in Art History, and with some knowledge of and/or background in studying the art histories of Southeast Asia. The course centres on close, critical reading of advanced scholarly literature, in reading group-style seminar discussions. These discussions will be grounded in students’ own research projects, thus equipping students with the skills to apply close, critical readings of advanced scholarly literature to their own work outside the course. Students will discuss canonical works in Southeast Asian art histories, as well as more recent and cutting-edge scholarship. The course is open to MA, PhD and selected high-performing final-year undergraduate students who are completing their FYPs on a related Art History topic. The course builds on and extends from issues raised in HR3006 20th Century Southeast Asian Art and HR3009 19th Century Southeast Asian Art, however while these courses are strongly recommended for undergraduate students, they are not compulsory prerequisites, especially for postgraduate students whose prior studies have been completed elsewhere. 

HR7004 Advanced Directed Readings in Art History (3 AUs)

This course is designed to provide graduate students with a more individualized course of reading that goes beyond existing graduate courses. The students are expected to read widely in their chosen field under the guidance of their supervisor/instructor. Students may also explore another subfield or a differing approach to art history than what has already been covered in HR7001. This course will expand the range of research possibilities for graduate students from other disciplines and schools, particularly for those who are interested in developing inter-disciplinary methodologies and approaches taken from art history.


The content and individual requirements of each directed reading course are determined by the student in consultation with his/her supervisor/instructor. The reading list, written work, and meeting times will be negotiated between the supervisor/instructor and the student. The final detailed syllabus will be subjected to the HOD's approval, prior to the course commencement.