Full Description
This unique collaboration between scholars, practitioners and Muslim artists profiles emerging forms of contemporary British Muslim art, prompting a debate about its purpose and its inclusion in UK society. It features analysis of Muslim art as a category, as well as reflective accounts of people working in theatre, popular music, the heritage sector and ancient and modern visual arts, often at the margins of the British arts industry.
Dealing with sociological and theological themes as well as art history and practice, the volume provides a timely intervention on a neglected topic. The collection discusses diverse topics including how second- and third-generation British Muslims, as part of a broader generational shift, have reworked Sufi music and traditional calligraphy and fused them with new musical and artistic styles, from Grime to comic book art, alongside consideration of the experiences of Muslim artists who work in the theatre, museums and the performing arts sectors.
It is a must-read for students and researchers of theology and religious studies, Islamic studies, fine art, cultural studies and ethnic and racial studies.
Contents
Introduction (Sadek Hamid and Stephen H. Jones); Part I: The Cultural Politics of British Muslim Artistic Production; 1. A British Muslim Arts Movement: Public Politics or Religious Devotion? (Carl Morris); 2. Decentring the Colonial Gaze: The Framing of Islamic Art (Shaheen Kasmani); Part II: Art in Contemporary British Muslim Culture; 3. The Nature of Islamic Art: Locating a Tradition of Fitrah in the Art and Culture of Islam, with Particular Reference to Calligraphy (Razwan ul-Haq); 4. What is Post-tariqa Sufism? (Ayesha Khan); 5. God and Grime: The Religious Literacy of British Hip Hop (Abdul-Azim Ahmed); Part III: The Inclusion of British Muslim Art; 6. The Playground for Dangerous Ideas: Muslims and British Theatre (Hassan Mahamdallie); 7. Arts, Heritage and Islamic Manuscripts (Neelam Hussain); 8. Flawed and Toxic? Challenges in Contemporary Islamic Art in the UK (Sara Choudhrey); Conclusion: The Future of British Muslim Arts (Sadek Hamid and Stephen H. Jones)
