A Celebration of Contemporary Islamic-Inspired Art: Reviewing the 2024 Jameel Prize

A Celebration of Contemporary Islamic-Inspired Art: Reviewing the 2024 Jameel Prize

The Jameel Prize, established in 2009 in collaboration with Art Jameel, recognizes contemporary artists and designers whose work is influenced by Islamic tradition. The prize fosters a dialogue that explores the intersection of contemporary practice and heritage. The 2024 edition of the prize focuses on moving image and digital media work.

Highlights from the 2024 Jameel Prize

This year’s finalists span diverse artistic disciplines, from film and installation to photography and soundscapes. Each artist offers a distinctive interpretation of tradition, community, and localized concerns, blending past and present into compelling narratives.

Zahra Malkani – “A Ubiquitous Wetness”

Pakistani artist Zahra Malkani’s “A Ubiquitous Wetness” immerses audiences in the spiritual and political significance of the Indus River. Malkani’s medium includes film and interactive displays, where audiences can engage with her audio archive. The work was recorded following the devastating floods in Sindh in 2022.

Her soundscapes, an intricately woven archive of chants, conversations, fisherfolk, songs, nowha (laments) and activist speeches, highlights the sacred yet endangered nature of the river. As industrialization and climate change disrupt its flow, Malkani’s work urges contemplation of the intertwined fates of ecological and cultural landscapes through highlighting coastal communities grief practices associated with the river. Within this display, she emphasizes the shifting hierarchy of the senses in today’s culture—from a sonic aniconic tradition to a vision-centric society. In this context, the divine is not represented visually but is instead invoked through language, sound, and dynamic experience.

Beyond its environmental commentary, Malkani’s work delves into the historical narratives surrounding the river. Through layered sonic compositions and visual storytelling, she traces the river’s role in the formation of regional identities, spiritual practices, and community resilience. Her project also incorporates testimonies from local communities, offering a deeply personal and immersive perspective on the ways in which the river shapes lives and livelihoods. Her approach transforms the Indus from a mere geographic landmark into a living, breathing entity with agency and history, amplifying voices that are often left unheard in mainstream ecological discourse.

Marrim Akashi Sani – “Muharram” Series

Marrim Akashi Sani is an Iranian-Iraqi artist based in Detroit, a city with a significant Muslim population shaped by migration to the United States. Her luminous “Muharram” series explores memory and identity through a collection of illuminated lightboxes. Each piece showcases cherished objects—coins, heirlooms, and trinkets—set against striking backdrops, reflecting narratives of displacement and belonging. The series not only captures deeply personal histories but also resonates with the broader experiences of Muslim communities in the American Midwest and beyond.

Khandakar Ohida – “Dream Your Museum” (Winner)

The 2024 Jameel Prize was awarded to Khandakar Ohida for her captivating installation and film “Dream Your Museum.” Inspired by her uncle, Khandakar Selim, a passionate collector of over 12,000 objects in his West Bengal home, the work challenges constructive ideas of value. As a doctor’s assistant, Selim’s patient visits allowed him to acquire objects that his patients intended to discard but instead entrusted to him. His collection, rather than being curated by institutional authority, forms an evolving community museum that values personal narratives over formal categorization.

Ohida’s work questions the constructive value of objects and the significance ascribed to them by individuals. Similarly, it challenges the nature of museums themselves—presenting Selim’s collection as an alternative to traditional institutional models. Her film, structured as a whimsical yet profound dialogue between Selim and a young relative, blurs the boundaries between reality and imagination, prompting reflection on preservation and the narratives we construct around history.

The Jameel Prize continues to affirm the relevance and vitality of contemporary Islamic-influenced art. The 2024 edition’s finalists bridge past and present, personal and collective, using an artistic language that is both deeply rooted in tradition and forward-thinking. Through their work, they challenge perceptions, ignite critical conversations, and underscore the enduring connection between culture and identity.

For those interested to experience these works, the exhibition will be on display at the V&A Museum until March 16, 2025.