Mari Yoko Hara is the Samuel H. Kress Pre-Doctoral Rome Rrize Winner in Renaissance and Early Modern Studies and a Ph.D. candidate in the McIntire Department of Art at the University of Virginia.
What part of the United States did you come from?
I was born and raised in southern Japan, but currently divide my time between Providence, Rhode Island and Charlottesville, Virginia.
Why did you apply for the Rome Prize?
In all honesty I applied because it is what every Ph.D. student does when studying Italian Renaissance art and architecture in the United States. Because the application pool is so famously competitive in our field, I never thought I would actually one day join the group of amazing Rome Prize scholars and artists. Needless to say it was quite incredible to get the call for the interview, and to end up here in Rome as a two-year fellow.
Describe a particularly inspiring moment or location you've experienced in Rome thus far.
Although I have spent four years living in Rome while I studied at John Cabot University as a college student, I am always stunned when the silhouettes of those typically Roman umbrella pine trees greet you when you arrive to Rome. For someone who studies the history of the built environment, it is a good reminder that Rome has the capacity to transform even nature itself into an iconic image.
To what extent, if any, has your proposed project changed since your arrival?
I am dedicating much more time to archival research here than I expected to. This type of primary source documentation was missing from my project, because it is so difficult to access the material while in the US. Combing through sixteenth-century manuscripts is slow-going, but it is also very exciting.
What part of your project has been or do you anticipate will be the most challenging?
The writing. Now that I have gathered the primary source documentation in Rome, what awaits is the difficult task of weaving a readable text that will incorporate those sources in a meaningful way.
What surprised you most about living in Rome?
I was surprised to feel a closer connection to my research subject. The church and confraternity that Peruzzi belonged to is just down the street. I can even go and visit him in the Pantheon where he is buried. This kind of immediacy somehow made my project seem more tangible and relevant.
How have you managed the balance between your work (time in the studio/study) and engagement with Rome and Italy (travel, sightseeing, interactions with locals)?
I like to tell myself that, for an art historian, travel and sightseeing is serious work! The truth is, that there is always more to see even just within Italy.
How do you anticipate your Rome Prize Fellowship will influence future work?
The experience has already been life changing. Living and working among the fellows from different fields has clarified my relationship to my own field, and has made me more confident as a professional scholar. I have also made wonderful friends here who will remain dear to me for the rest of my life.