The call to prayer and worship is one common theme in almost all art regardless of where it originates. This certainly holds true about the art of Islam, according to Lois Fichner-Rathus in “Understanding Art," which counts among its great works of art and architecture the great mosques of the Middle East. Many of these buildings avoid ornamentation. Islamic art in general features a different visual iconography than that found in both Asian and Western art forms, according to the Colorado State University website. That is the art of Islam is devoid of human figures, animals and even images of God. This is to avoid idol worship. Instead Islamic art features geometric shapes, flowers and calligraphy.
The countless cultures that have lived in India show themselves in Indian art. Like the art and architecture of Islam, Indian art also felt the influence of religious themes in its art. However, unlike some religiously inspired architecture, which uses its religious buildings as places of worship, Indian temples belong to the gods, not the worshippers of the gods.
These temples are filled with scenes of idealized men and women in erotic positions—another key difference between Indian art and the art of many other cultures. There is no separation between the religious and the erotic in Indian art; indeed eroticism is a common feature in the sculptures of India—even among the artworks that feature Indian gods. This is due to the influence of Hinduism, which looks at the erotic as a path to virtue.
The beautiful vases of the Ming Dynasty represent only a small part of this country’s long artistic legacy. According to Fichner-Rathus, Chinese art has felt the influences of Confucianism as well as Buddhism. Chinese scrolls featuring misty landscapes and magical realms were in part inspired by this influence this. Calligraphy also played a great role in the art of ancient China. Many works of art feature images of trees or bamboo leaves, but retain the feel of this written Chinese art form.
Buddhist sculptures and temples figure prominently in the Japanese landscape and in the country’s art history. Additionally, the development of the art form of the Japanese mandala finds its roots in religion. Even the seemingly non-religious subject matter of scenes of nature found on Japanese prints were rooted in the Japanese Shinto religion, which reveres nature and life.
Despite some of the religious influences in creating the art of Asia, many secular art movements and artists have been inspired by it nonetheless. These artists have allowed the artistic techniques they found in these works to influence new art. For example, artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Mary Cassatt were inspired by Asian art, particularly the art of Japan and Japanese wood block prints.