Latest news with #IslamicArt
The Standard
15-07-2025
- General
- The Standard
Promoting religious art in Hong Kong: boosting harmony and tourism
Gandhara Buddha under Greco-Roman influence and Buddha footprint, which shows the influence of Islamic art aniconism without showing an image.
The National
13-07-2025
- The National
House of Islamic Arts: New Jeddah museum houses more than 1,000 artefacts
Saudi Arabia has launched a museum that is dedicated exclusively to Islamic art. The House of Islamic Arts, located in Jeddah Park, houses more than 1,000 artefacts from across the Muslim world. It contains six galleries, each of which highlight a distinct facet of Islamic heritage. Ceramics and glassworks from the first to the 10th century AH (7th to the 16th century CE) make up the first gallery, highlighting how artisans in the Islamic world elevated pottery into an art form. The second gallery, meanwhile, displays intricately-etched metalworks crafted between the first and 13th century AH (7th to the 19th century). The economic network in various Islamic societies is exhibited in the third gallery, through 500 coins spanning from the time of the Prophet Mohammed to the modern age. Meanwhile, the fourth gallery is a testament to cross-cultural exchange, exploring how Islamic art influenced other civilizations between the second and 13th century AH, with a a particular focus on how European cultures incorporated Islamic artistic traditions. The fifth gallery is dedicated to rare Quranic manuscripts dating back to the 2nd century AH. It also includes examples of calligraphy and wooden tablets that were once used by students memorising the Quran. Textiles take centre stage in the final gallery of the museum. These include interior and exterior coverings of the Kaaba and a rare Shammi Gate curtain from the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah. The curtain was produced during the Ottoman era in the 13th century AH. The House of Islamic Arts also includes a library with a curated selection of Arabic and English books that cover Islamic heritage, history, culture and literature. The museum's opening in Jeddah is significant, particularly due to the city's importance to Muslims. As the gateway to Makkah, the birthplace of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed, the city has been a welcoming port to Muslim pilgrims for centuries.
Arab News
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Saudi artist Lulwah Al-Homoud: ‘I created a new language that cannot be read, but felt'
DUBAI: Despite her love for art, Lulwah Al-Homoud didn't set out to be an artist. But last month her work — rooted in geometry, Arabic calligraphy, and deep spiritual reflection — was on display at one of Europe's most cutting-edge digital art events. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ The Saudi artist was featured at this year's edition of The Digital Art Mile in Basel, Switzerland, (which ran alongside Art Basel) presented by the Sigg Art Foundation. A post shared by Lulwah Al Homoud (@lulwah_al_homoud) Her featured work comes from her series 'The Language of Existence' — a reimagined Arabic alphabet that uses geometric patterns inspired by Islamic art. 'I created different geometric shapes assigned to each letter,' Al-Homoud says. 'I kind of created a new language that cannot be read, but can be felt more.' 'The Language of Existence' is a perfect representation of Al-Homoud's work in general. 'I was always drawn to calligraphy and Islamic geometry — we all see these beautiful (writings) and patterns, but we don't know the meaning behind them,' she says. A post shared by Lulwah Al Homoud (@lulwah_al_homoud) It was while pursuing her master's in arts at London's Central Saint Martins that Al-Homoud really began to dig into that meaning, studying geometry and calligraphy inspired by Islamic art and learning how they were developed over centuries by different cultures. Her path to that master's was not straightforward. 'I was always an artist inside — always drawing portraits and landscapes — but I wanted to have a career,' she says. 'My family, especially wanted me to be a woman who has a career and who helps her society and all that.' She gained a bachelor's degree in sociology, and — in the late Nineties — began studying visual communication design in London before moving on to her master's. Al-Homoud began her working life curating exhibitions for Middle Eastern artists and calligraphers in London, something that helped her discover her own artistic voice. A post shared by Hafez Gallery حافظ جاليري (@hafezgallery) 'When I learned about the sophisticated ideas behind Islamic art and geometry, I said, 'That's what I want to do.' Because I felt that it was more of a universal language and it's also where art and science meet,' she says. 'I felt I wanted to do something with meaning. 'I wasn't thinking of exhibiting my work at all, but someone discovered my sketches and said, 'Your work is great. You have to show it.' And that's where it all began,' she adds. Despite that initial encouragement, Al-Homoud says it wasn't easy to establish herself as an artist in London in the early 2000s. Partly because people often made assumptions about her before even talking to her, based on her ethnicity and religion. 'When I did exhibitions, they would come and ask me the wrong questions — they wouldn't look at the art and relate to it,' she says. 'It took time for people to realize that artists speak a universal language. Art really brings people together, while the world (wants to impose) divisions and categorization.' While her art may have universal appeal, it is also heavily inspired by Al-Homoud's personal beliefs. 'I (learned about) and met a lot of people in the art field who were using this calligraphy and geometry,' she says. 'I feel this kind of art really reflects your spirituality and your connection to God more than any other, and this is the reason why Muslim artists kept doing it for all these years,' she says. 'When I create art, I lose myself to Allah. That's why people say it feels peaceful.' Al-Homoud has founded an art center in Riyadh called Isdar, dedicated to teaching fine art and printing and to inspiring young artists. 'I feel it's my time now to give. I had an experience that wasn't that easy — it's much easier now for artists in Saudi Arabia. But you need to educate them to be good artists, not just artists,' she says. 'When you come to our space, you see me as a collector, as an educator, as an artist, and as a curator. I'm hoping to have a small museum in the future as well.' Al-Homoud urges aspiring artists to be patient, and to be honest about their abilities and goals. And, most importantly, she says, 'Stay humble. One of the greatest things I have learned from studying Islamic art is to be humble, no matter how successful or how big your name is.'
Arab News
09-07-2025
- General
- Arab News
Jeddah museum displays 1,000 rare artifacts spanning Islamic history
JEDDAH: The House of Islamic Arts, the Kingdom's first museum solely for Islamic art, houses a collection that spans several eras of Islamic civilization. Located in Jeddah Park, the museum displays over 1,000 artifacts offering insight into Islamic values and the region's cultural and historical heritage, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The museum includes six galleries, each exploring a distinct facet of Islamic heritage. The first gallery traces the evolution of ceramics and glassmaking from the 1st to the 10th century AH (7th to 16th century), showcasing pottery, a craft in antiquity that saw major development under Muslim artisans. The second gallery highlights Islamic metalworks featuring intricately decorated items and daily-use vessels. The third displays 500 coins from the Prophet Muhammad's era to modern times, offering a glimpse into the economic history of the Muslim world. The fourth gallery focuses on the influence of Islamic art on other civilizations and how European cultures engaged with Islamic artistic traditions. The fifth presents rare Qur'anic manuscripts, Arabic calligraphy pieces and wooden tablets used in Qur'an memorization. The final gallery showcases Islamic textiles, including pieces from the interior and exterior coverings of the Holy Kaaba and a rare curtain from the Shammi Gate of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, crafted during the Ottoman era in the 13th century AH. The museum tour ends at the library, which offers a wide selection of Arabic and English books on Islamic history, culture, and literature.
The National
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Islamic carpets in Hong Kong offer 'tangible evidence' of cross-cultural exchange with China
Celebrating the bold patterns, luxurious materials and meticulous techniques that went into crafting carpets for historic royalty, Doha's Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) have teamed up for a unique exhibition. On show until October 6 at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Gallery 9, Wonders of Imperial Carpets: Masterpieces from the Museum of Islamic Art delves into the rich artistic and cultural exchanges that have flourished between Islamic and Chinese civilisations over centuries. The exhibition is the first in Hong Kong to present such a comprehensive study of Islamic imperial carpets, bringing almost 100 historic objects – including carpets, manuscripts, ceramics, metalwork and jade from between the 16th and 18th centuries – primarily drawn from the MIA's collection, alongside loans from Beijing's Palace Museum and the HKPM. For some of the objects, it's their first time being shown outside of Qatar. 'The exhibition highlights how artistic traditions from Safavid, Mughal, and Ottoman periods intersected with those of China through centuries of trade, diplomacy, and shared visual language,' Mounia Chekhab Abudaya, MIA's deputy director of curatorial affairs tells The National. 'Despite their geographic distance, Islamic and Chinese civilisations have long interacted through trade, diplomacy, and migration. The Silk Road played a crucial role in facilitating these exchanges, allowing for the flow of ideas, materials, and motifs between East and West. 'These dynasties all engaged with China, and these interactions influenced artistic traditions on both sides,' she adds. 'While Islamic and Chinese carpets were shaped by distinct aesthetic traditions, there are notable points of convergence. 'Islamic carpets were often made of luxurious materials such as silk and gold thread, and featured intricate geometric, floral, and figural patterns. Chinese carpets, like those from the Xinjiang region during the Qianlong period, also used floral motifs and were designed for imperial use.' The only key difference between the two culture's carpets was symbolism, tied to religious art and motifs. Islamic carpets could feature prayer niches or talismanic symbols, such as the Ottoman Cintamani prayer rug shown in the exhibition, decorated with an auspicious motif of three circles, known as cintamani ('wish-fulfilling jewel') in Sanskrit. Associated with good luck and power, the motif was very popular at the Ottoman court. Depicted at the centre of the rug is a prayer niche; at the bottom is an abstract representation of the Prophet's sandals. Chinese carpets instead depicted motifs related to Taoism or imperial iconography. The Carpet with Flowers, made in the Xinjiang region during the Qianlong period (1736–1795), is a prime example, with stunning floral patterns used in the imperial palace. Displayed alongside is a piece of Safavid silk fabric with golden brocade, which features a similar design, showing how fluid the visual language between both cultures was. 'A highlight piece of the show is the Kevorkian Hyderabad Carpet, measuring nearly 16 metres long. This grand durbar (audience chamber) carpet is one of the longest Islamic carpets held in any museum,' Chekhab Abudaya says. 'Used in Mughal ceremonial courts, it will be displayed in its entirety – a rare opportunity for visitors. 'These objects not only represent extraordinary craftsmanship but also serve as tangible evidence of centuries-long cultural interaction and mutual influence.'
