Two Decades of Splendour: The Jameel Gallery Marks 20 Years at the V&A

This July, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in South Kensington reached a significant milestone, marking two decades since the inauguration of the Jameel Gallery. Serving as the museum’s dedicated home for the arts of the Islamic Middle East, the gallery has spent the last 20 years bridging the gap between historical mastery and contemporary expression. To commemorate this anniversary, the V&A has spent the year reflecting on its role as a global custodian of Islamic art, hosting a series of new displays, public programmes, and academic conversations that look both at the legacy of the collection and the future of cultural preservation.

In July 2006, the V&A opened the Jameel Gallery to the public, providing a permanent, cohesive home for a collection that spans from Spain to Central Asia and covers a timeline stretching from the 8th century to the modern day. Today, the space houses approximately 400 objects, encompassing an extraordinary range of media, including ceramics, carpets, metalwork, woodwork, glass, and rare manuscripts. As it has since its inception, the gallery remains free for all to visit, ensuring that this profound cross-section of global heritage remains accessible to the public.

The establishment of the gallery was made possible through the support of the Jameel family, a partnership that initiated a long-standing and productive relationship between the family and the museum. This collaboration deepened in 2009 with the introduction of the Jameel Prize, an international award designed to investigate the vital, evolving relationship between contemporary artistic practice and Islamic tradition. Throughout this anniversary year, with the ongoing support of Community Jameel, the museum has sought to activate the space through a programme of events that bring the gallery to life.

A Year of Living Craft and Celebration

A central theme of the anniversary programme has been the integration of living traditions into the gallery space. Rather than treating the historic objects on display as static relics, the museum has invited contemporary practitioners to engage with the techniques and aesthetics that inspired the works in the collection.

In May, during London Craft Week, the gallery welcomed Egyptian textile artist Hany Abd El-Kader. His demonstration of khayamiyya—the intricate art of cotton appliqué—offered visitors a rare opportunity to witness a centuries-old craft being executed in real-time. The session, introduced by Seif El Rashidi of the Barakat Trust, was sold out, reflecting a deep public interest in the human hands behind the objects. A small group of participants also engaged in a hands-on workshop, creating their own pieces of khayamiyya, effectively creating a bridge between the historical Egyptian textiles in the V&A collection and modern artisanal practice.

The momentum continued into July, the month of the anniversary itself. On July 17, the museum hosted "The Islamic Art Museumscape," a conference that served as a diagnostic of the current state of Islamic collections globally. The symposium examined how institutions have evolved in their approach to curation, interpretation, and public engagement in the two decades since the Jameel Gallery first opened its doors. This academic reflection was complemented by a more creative celebration later in the month: the "Friday Late with Shubbak: Body as a Vessel," which showcased contemporary Arab and SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) creativity, underscoring the gallery’s commitment to modern voices.

By September, the celebration shifted to the London Design Festival. The gallery unveiled a new installation by artist Aziza Kadyri, which wove through the existing architectural arches, offering a contemporary intervention in the historic space. Kadyri was joined by Uzbek embroidery artist Yulduz Mukhiddinova, who travelled from Uzbekistan to lead suzani embroidery sessions. The workshops and an associated performance by Uzbek singer-songwriter Laylo at the "Awakenings" Friday Late event provided a sensory, immersive experience for the nearly 80 people who learned the traditional stitch, reinforcing the gallery’s status as a site of active, rather than passive, history.

The Curatorial Journey: From Foundation to Renovation

Reflecting on the gallery’s legacy, Mariam Rosser-Owen, Curator of the Middle East in the Asia Department, notes that the V&A has long been a steward of one of the world’s preeminent collections of Islamic art. The museum’s engagement with these regions dates back to its 1850s founding, a time when the acquisition of Middle Eastern art was driven by a desire to improve British design. Over the subsequent century, the V&A’s holdings grew to include world-famous objects that would eventually influence iconic figures like William Morris.

However, the history of the gallery space itself is a story of evolution. The current site was first opened in 1950 to provide a dedicated space for the collection, and while it underwent a refresh in the 1970s, by the early 2000s, it required a more substantial transformation. The formation of a dedicated Middle East curatorial section in 2002 paved the way for the renovation. With the generosity of the Jameel family, the 2006 project was able to provide an "appropriately attractive setting" that allowed the collection to be displayed with the dignity and context it deserved.

Fady Jameel, Family Ambassador of Community Jameel and Chairman and Founder of Art Jameel, emphasises that the gallery represents more than just a collection of artifacts; it is a platform for research and engagement. "Over the past 20 years, the gallery has become a platform for research, public engagement, and contemporary creative practice, showing how historic artistic traditions continue to evolve," Jameel stated. He reaffirmed the family’s commitment to the partnership, noting the importance of ensuring that these traditional arts continue to reach new, diverse audiences while maintaining their integrity.

Iconic Objects in the Collection

For those visiting the Jameel Gallery, the collection offers several masterpieces that define its significance. Among them is the Ardabil Carpet, dating to 1539–1540. Created for the shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din in Ardabil, Iran, it remains the world’s oldest dated carpet. Its display is a testament to the museum’s commitment to preservation; a custom case was built in the centre of the gallery to allow the carpet to be viewed on the floor, as it was originally intended, with a lighting schedule that limits exposure to ten minutes on the hour and half-hour to protect its delicate dyes.

Other highlights include the 11th-century rock crystal ewer, carved in Cairo, which features intricate motifs of birds of prey and palmette scrolls; the 15th-century minbar (pulpit) made for Sultan Qaitbay, a masterwork of geometric woodwork and ivory inlay; and the lustrous 15th-century bowl from Málaga, which greets visitors at the entrance with its shimmering glaze. Furthermore, the gallery has recently expanded its reach into the 20th century with a selection of Iranian prints gifted by Tarlan Rafiee and Yashar Samimi Mofakham, including works by Nasser Ovissi, a pioneer of the Saqqakhaneh movement.

Looking Ahead

The anniversary year is not yet over. As the museum moves toward the end of 2026, it plans to continue its focus on traditional craftsmanship. In November, during Islamic Art Week, artist Mariam Ashraf will perform a live-streamed demonstration of plaster carving—the precise, demanding technique used to create the decorative windows set with coloured glass that are a signature of the gallery’s 19th-century Cairene collection.

Two decades after its opening, the Jameel Gallery stands as a bridge between worlds, eras, and mediums. It continues to reveal the ongoing dialogue between the past and the present, ensuring that the extraordinary objects held within its walls remain relevant to new generations. As the museum looks toward the future, the gallery remains a space for discovery, where the intricacies of historic design continue to inspire, provoke, and inform. Visitors are invited to explore Room 42 at the V&A South Kensington, where admission remains free and open to all.