Introduction

English (OpenAlex)

In a time when divisive politics – from white supremacy and otherizing to religious discrimination and Islamophobia – have become increasingly popular around the globe, it is essential now more than ever that scholars, curators, and artists study, curate, and engage with the incredibly rich and diverse historical and contemporary visual cultures of Islam. However, the term ‘Islamic art,’ an umbrella term used today to encompass arts of many cultures and civilizations, is in fact a western construct originally created by European scholars. Many ‘exotic’ objects, brought by crusaders and travelers to Europe, were not even considered examples of Islamic art until collected by European museums that described them as such. In reality, the continuous use of this term despite its orientalist origins strengthens normative and homogeneous notions of Islam and Islamic art.