by Wendy M.K. Shaw, esteemed scholar in the field of Islamic art history.
Shaw has significantly contributed to the discourse on the relationship between religion, perception, and artistic expression. Her book "What is 'Islamic' Art?: Between Religion and Perception" offers a groundbreaking approach to understanding Islamic arts through the lens of historical Islam's discursive sphere, including the Qur'an, Hadith, Sufism, ancient philosophy, and poetry. By focusing on the experience of reception over the context of production, Shaw not only challenges existing narratives within Islamic art but also advocates for a decolonizing model for global art history practices.
by artist Tamim SahibZada, trained as a master calligrapher, miniaturist and book illuminator.
Tamim refined his calligraphy skills under the guidance of master calligraphers such as Master Taheri (Kabul) and Master Mohammad Amin (Peshawar). He was one of the first lecturers and student mentors at the Turquoise Mountain Institute where he developed the student curriculum for miniature art, book illustration, colour design, tapestry design, geometric and Islamic design among others.
by the Kairo Girls’ School (tbc)
a collective of women, dedicated to upholding and preserving Indigenous & oral traditions of sharing sacred Islamic knowledge, storytelling, and practicing traditional crafts in service of healing. Their live devotional performances are guided by the concept of improvisistance - a marriage of improvisation and resistance, as coined by Dirar Kalash, as to remain truthfully present. The mediums of the voice, electronic synth, natural acoustics & sacred sounds are woven together, as they build a living archive of dhikr, and explore forms of remembrance. Ever evolving, extended to any who seek it.
curated by Ruth R Loos and Joud Toamah
image: leaf inscribed with a Qur’anic verse from Surat al-Isra’ (“The Night Journey,” Q,17:80) - Turkey, 19th century, which reads: And say, “O my Lord, make me enter a rightful entrance and make me exit a rightful exit, and grant me from Your Own a power, favored (by You).”