Recent Art of South Asia is a group of scholars and artists from around the world who wish to discuss issues related to the visual culture of the southern Asian region and produced from its many diasporas. The terms of the group title are all prone to redefinition. 'Recent' leaves open the temporal limits of the discussion, from things happening right now to their roots in the 19th century. It also avoids the contentious terms 'contemporary' and 'modern', both of which are fruitful loci for debate. 'Art' here stands as a placeholder for any manifestation of visual culture, from performance art to popular prints to museum oil paintings. It also extends to the built environment: architecture, installation work, street interventions, urban spaces. 'South Asia' indicates the group's regional focus while also marking a strong interest in South Asian visual culture existing beyond the bounds of that geographical region. RASA, the acronym, handily references an aesthetic term often used in discussions of South Asian art; like all the elements within our name, it too can and should be questioned.

RASA, then, is a forum for scholarly debate, discussion, sharing ideas and information about current work in this broadly defined field. We welcome all those interested in exploring South Asian visual culture of relatively recent times.