Islamic art encompasses a variety of artistic traditions that have flourished in a vast geographic region from southern Spain and North Africa to the islands of Southeast Asia. While different cities and regions developed their own distinct visual language, they also share certain aesthetic characteristics.
In an introduction to the traditional arts of the Islamic world, museum consultant Sabiha Al Khemir provides an overview of objects across media including calligraphy, painting, ceramics, metalwork, and textiles. The program is illustrated with examples of works of Islamic art from public and private collections around the world, many of which Al Khemir has personally handled.
Her survey examines the essence of Islamic art in the context of the cultures that produced it, connecting the various aspects that are present throughout different media and identifying artistic styles and their cultural significance. She draws an arc across forms, time, and place as she examines the distinctive visual language of traditional Islamic art from the 9th to the 19th century.
Al Khemir was the founding director of the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar and has curated several large-scale exhibitions of Islamic art in Europe and the United States. She has consulted for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and taught Islamic art courses at the British Museum.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*
General Information
*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
