Free lecture: Where was Dvāravatī?

Join us at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Wednesday 5 April for a special lecture by leading Thai art expert Dr Piriya Krairiksh.

Often described as the ‘most ancient kingdom of Siam’, Dvāravatī was a Buddhist kingdom from the 6th to 10th centuries located in modern day Thailand. It has intrigued archaeologists, art historians and scholars of South East Asian religion and history for over a century.

In this lecture the distinguished Thai art historian Dr Piriya Krairiksh explores new interdisciplinary investigations that relocate the centre of this civilization and will discuss the belief systems, artworks and architectural remains that have led to these conclusions.

Dr Piriya Krairiksh is a leading scholar, historian and curator of South East Asian art and history. He earned a doctorate in History of Art from Harvard University in 1975 and was then the Curator of Asian Art at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. He taught art history at Thammasat University in Bangkok from 1977 until 2002 where he was the Director of the Thai Khadi Research Institute (until 2006). He has published many articles and books on Thai art and is the Chairman of the Piriya Krairiksh Foundation which promotes new knowledge and new ideas about Thai history and art.