Early Islamic Art and Architecture

This talk will focus on the art and architecture of the early Islamic world from the rise of Islam in the seventh century CE through its presence in early medieval Europe. Art historian and designer Ann Shafer will examine the iconography of early Islamic visual culture and its expression and will outline basic religious concepts and rituals that determine built space. Our discussion will be rich in images, concepts and thought-provoking questions.

Shafer is a faculty member at the State University of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. She specializes in the arts of the Middle East and North Africa and has published widely on the subject with a special focus on architectural ornament and artisanal technologies. Shafer believes in contextualizing art within broader historical and contemporary cultural practices, including discussions of gender, race, the environment and sustainability, education, and politics. As a designer she operates in the intersection of design and social activism especially working with refugee and other traditional artisans.

Shafer received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska, master’s degrees from the University of Chicago and the Rhode Island School of Design and a doctorate from Harvard University.

Click the link below to join the webinar: https://clu.zoom.us/j/97641214498
International numbers available: https://clu.zoom.us/u/aefIzPDd4S

Image: Folio from the “Blue Qur’an,” second half ninth – mid tenth century, gold and silver on indigo-dyed parchment, Tunisia, Metropolitan Museum of Art.