{"id":2899,"date":"2026-10-15T14:00:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T14:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/?p=2899"},"modified":"2026-10-15T14:00:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T14:00:13","slug":"two-decades-of-excellence-celebrating-20-years-of-the-jameel-gallery-at-the-va-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/?p=2899","title":{"rendered":"Two Decades of Excellence: Celebrating 20 Years of The Jameel Gallery at the V&A"},"content":{"rendered":"

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 of Islamic Art. Since its opening in July 2006, the gallery has served as the V&A\u2019s primary home for the arts of the Islamic Middle East, housing a breathtaking collection that spans from Spain to Central Asia and covers a timeline stretching from the 8th century to the present day. To commemorate this twentieth anniversary, the museum has spent the past year reflecting on its rich history, hosting a vibrant series of new displays, live craft demonstrations, and scholarly conversations, while looking toward a future of continued cultural exchange.<\/p>\n

The gallery, which remains free for the public to visit, houses approximately 400 objects that illustrate the breadth and depth of Islamic artistic achievement. From delicate ceramics and intricate metalwork to sprawling carpets, woodwork, glass, and illuminated manuscripts, the collection offers a comprehensive look at the material culture of the Islamic world. The space itself exists as a testament to a long-standing partnership between the V&A and the Jameel family, a relationship that has become a cornerstone of the museum\u2019s efforts to promote the understanding of Middle Eastern art. This collaboration expanded in 2009 with the establishment of the Jameel Prize, an international award dedicated to exploring the dynamic relationship between contemporary artistic practice and Islamic tradition.<\/p>\n

Supported by Community Jameel, the anniversary year has been characterized by a desire to breathe new life into these historic objects by juxtaposing them with living, contemporary craft. By inviting practitioners to demonstrate their skills within the gallery space, the V&A has sought to bridge the gap between the static beauty of museum artifacts and the evolving nature of the traditions that birthed them.<\/p>\n

\"Celebrating<\/figure>\n

The celebration reached a crescendo in May during London Craft Week, when the gallery hosted Egyptian textile artist Hany Abd El-Kader. His demonstration of khayamiyya<\/em>\u2014the meticulous art of cotton appliqu\u00e9\u2014offered visitors a rare opportunity to witness a traditional craft in real time. Introduced by Seif El Rashidi of the Barakat Trust, the event was a sell-out success, further underscored by an intimate workshop that allowed participants to create their own pieces of khayamiyya<\/em>. This focus on participatory learning and live artistry has become a defining feature of the anniversary programming.<\/p>\n

July marked the official twentieth-anniversary date, which the V&A observed with a conference titled "The Islamic Art Museumscape." This gathering served as a scholarly reflection on how museums globally have evolved in their approach to Islamic collections over the last two decades. The conference analyzed shifting themes, curation trends, and the changing role of the museum in the 21st century. Later that month, the museum hosted a "Friday Late with Shubbak" event, themed "Body as a Vessel," which celebrated the diversity and vibrancy of contemporary Arab and SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) creativity.<\/p>\n

As the celebrations continued into September, the museum partnered with the London Design Festival to showcase a new installation by artist Aziza Kadyri. Her work, which weaves through the gallery\u2019s historic arches, served as a poignant backdrop for demonstrations by Uzbek embroidery artist Yulduz Mukhiddinova. Mukhiddinova\u2019s sessions on traditional suzani<\/em> embroidery drew significant interest, with approximately 80 participants learning the historic stitching techniques. The program was complemented by a performance from Uzbek singer-songwriter Laylo during the "Awakenings Friday Late," cementing the gallery\u2019s reputation as a space where historical narrative meets modern performance art.<\/p>\n

\"Celebrating<\/figure>\n

The significance of the gallery\u2019s history is a subject of deep pride for the curatorial team. Mariam Rosser-Owen, Curator of the Middle East in the V&A\u2019s Asia Department, notes that the museum\u2019s engagement with Islamic art is as old as the institution itself. Collecting began in the 1850s, driven by a desire to improve British design through the study of global aesthetic traditions. Over the following century, the V&A\u2019s holdings expanded to include world-famous objects that would eventually inspire iconic figures like William Morris.<\/p>\n

"As curators of Middle Eastern art, we are so fortunate to be able to work with one of the best collections of Islamic art in the world," Rosser-Owen reflects. She explains that while a dedicated space for these collections was first established in 1950, it required a major overhaul by the early 2000s. The formation of a dedicated Middle East curatorial section in 2002 paved the way for the renovation that led to the opening of the Jameel Gallery in 2006. "Thanks to the generosity of the Jameel family, the renovation allowed the V&A\u2019s world-class collections of Islamic art to shine at their best in an appropriately attractive setting," she adds.<\/p>\n

For Fady Jameel, Family Ambassador of Community Jameel and Chairman and Founder of Art Jameel, the gallery represents a commitment that transcends the museum walls. "The Jameel Gallery at the V&A anchors the Jameel family\u2019s long-standing commitment to supporting and celebrating Islamic art," he says. He highlights how the space has transformed into a hub for research and public engagement, proving that historical artistic traditions are not stagnant relics but living, evolving practices. The partnership remains focused on ensuring these traditions are preserved while finding innovative ways to reach new, global audiences.<\/p>\n

\"Celebrating<\/figure>\n

For those visiting the gallery, the collection offers several must-see highlights that define the scope of the exhibition. Chief among these is the Ardabil Carpet, a masterpiece dating back to 1539\u20131540. Created for the shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din in Ardabil, Iran, it is widely recognized as the world\u2019s oldest dated carpet. To protect the integrity of its colors, the carpet is kept in a specially designed, low-light case and is illuminated for ten minutes on the hour and half-hour.<\/p>\n

Equally striking is the rock crystal ewer, carved in Cairo between 1000 and 1050 for the Fatimid royal treasuries. Its intricate carvings of birds of prey and horned animals, executed in a material as unforgiving as rock crystal, showcase the extraordinary technical skill of the era. Similarly, the minbar (pulpit) made for Sultan Qaitbay, dating to the late 15th century, demonstrates the geometric precision and mastery of wood and ivory inlay that characterizes Cairo\u2019s architectural history.<\/p>\n

At the entrance, visitors are greeted by a 15th-century lustreware bowl from M\u00e1laga, Spain, whose shimmering glaze captures the light and reflects the historical movement of goods and ideas across the Mediterranean. Finally, the gallery\u2019s display of 20th-century Iranian prints\u2014a 2023 gift from Tarlan Rafiee and Yashar Samimi Mofakham\u2014offers a glimpse into the modern era. Featuring works from artists like Nasser Ovissi, a pioneer of the Saqqakhaneh movement, these prints illustrate the ongoing development of Iranian modernism between the 1950s and 1970s.<\/p>\n

\"Celebrating<\/figure>\n

The momentum of the anniversary year is set to continue through the autumn. In November 2026, during Islamic Art Week, the museum will feature a live-streamed demonstration by artist Mariam Ashraf on the art of plaster carving. This technique, essential to the creation of decorative windows set with colored glass, will allow viewers to connect with 19th-century Cairene architectural traditions.<\/p>\n

As the Jameel Gallery enters its third decade, it continues to function as a vital bridge between the past and the present. By showcasing extraordinary objects alongside the voices of contemporary artists and craftsmen, the V&A ensures that the history of the Islamic Middle East remains a vibrant, relevant, and evolving part of the cultural landscape. The Jameel Gallery (Room 42) remains open to the public at V&A South Kensington with free admission, inviting every visitor to discover a new connection to the rich tapestry of Islamic art.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 of Islamic Art. Since its opening in July 2006, the gallery has served as the V&A\u2019s primary home for the arts of the Islamic Middle East, housing a breathtaking collection […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[262],"tags":[274,1448,275,1894,1817,805,126,3926,276,18],"class_list":["post-2899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asian-art-and-culture","tag-asian-art","tag-celebrating","tag-culture","tag-decades","tag-excellence","tag-gallery","tag-heritage","tag-jameel","tag-philosophy","tag-years"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2899"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2899\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}