In 2026, Khamseen partnered with the Aga Khan Museum to produce a series of object-based talks broadly focused on the theme of nature and Islamic art. Presented by a group of international experts, these short, dynamic videos were filmed in the museum’s galleries and among its displayed artworks. The presenters offer viewers scholarly insights on various objects by focusing on their material, symbolic, and visual dimensions as well as a few personal reflections on the works’ importance to them. Ranging from an early modern Egyptian fountain and a bejeweled Qajar badge to a calligraphic leaf and a contemporary tapestry by Aisha Khalid, the featured works represent diverse artistic engagements with the natural world across time.
Talks
A Badge of the Persian Order of the Lion-and-Sun in the Aga Khan Museum
A Gilt and Inscribed Leaf in the Aga Khan Museum
A Large Ottoman Embroidery with Pinecones in the Aga Khan Museum
A Stone-Inlaid Water Fountain in the Aga Khan Museum
Aisha Khalid’s “Your Way Begins on the Other Side” in the Aga Khan Museum
An Iznik Dish with a Garden Pavilion at the Aga Khan Museum
The Floral Borders of an Album Folio in the Aga Khan Museum
Two Muharram Processional Standards (‘Alams) in the Aga Khan Museum
