Oracles in the fracture: the symbiotic narrative of shamanic art and contemporary spirituality
Jinzi Yang
Inter-Asia Cultural Studies January 2, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/14649373.2025.2606632 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Argues that Mongolian shamanic culture in China has adapted from sacred ritual into museum exhibits, folk performances, and private ceremonies, and that its artistic reinterpretation by figures such as Wang Zhigang, Akira Nishimura, and Joseph Beuys constitutes a vital response to modernity's ecological and spiritual crises rather than mere cultural preservation. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT This paper explores the persistence and transformation of Mongolian shamanic culture in China, focusing on its artistic and symbolic dimensions. Faced with challenges from modernization, scientific rationalism, and historical policies, shamanic rituals and artifacts have undergone significant adaptation—shifting from sacred practices to museum exhibits, folk performances, and private ceremonies. The study analyzes shamanic rituals as a complex semiotic system, where objects like the spirit drum and waist mirror, along with chants and movements, encode a cultural logic and ecological wisdom. Furthermore, it examines the creative reinterpretation of shamanic consciousness in contemporary art, citing works by Wang Zhigang, Akira Nishimura, and Joseph Beuys. The paper argues that this artistic transformation is not merely a preservation of cultural memory but a vital response to modernity's ecological and spiritual crises, positioning the shamanic spirit as a potent force within the fractures of contemporary civilization.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |