Formation of Islamic Art
Exhibit Brief: Interwoven Faiths: Islamic Influence on Jain, Hindu, and Buddhist Art in India
This virtual exhibition explores the dynamic cultural and artistic exchanges between Islamic and indigenous religious traditions, namely Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, within the Indian subcontinent from the 12th to the 18th century. Through a carefully curated selection of architectural fragments, manuscript illustrations, and temple structures, the exhibit highlights how Islamic artistic elements such as pointed arches, Persian calligraphy, and domical ceilings found their way into South Asian religious art and architecture.
The exhibition is organized thematically and chronologically, beginning with the early architectural forms in Rajasthan and culminating in richly illustrated folios produced under Mughal patronage. Each object is accompanied by a scholarly interpretation, drawing attention to stylistic similarities, symbolic meanings, and the broader historical context of foreign rule—from early Arab and Turkic invasions to the dominance of the British East India Company.
The Taj Mahal in Morning Mist, No. 5, Yoshida Hiroshi, 1932, color woodblock print
This project was inspired by academic texts, including Carpentier de Gourdon’s review of Hinduism and Islam in the Indian Subcontinent, and aims to visually demonstrate how centuries of coexistence, conflict, and exchange shaped the region’s unique religious art traditions.
By presenting these objects in a digital, interactive environment, the exhibit invites viewers to reconsider the boundaries between faiths and appreciate the artistic hybridity that emerged from shared spaces and histories.
Check out my paper:
Architecture of Authority: Political and Religious Power in the Tomb of Sadan Shahid