Art Studio + Design Lab

Our Art Studio + Design Lab is a platform for collaborative research and creative practice. We reimagine Islamic arts and intentional design for contemporary life while staying rooted in their rich traditions—curating spaces and convening exhibitions, immersive workshops, courses, and forums with master artists and artisans.

Master Calligrapher Bahman Panahi’s tools taken at Seldon Institute; photography by Joerg Metzner on behalf of Chicago Cultural Alliance

Our Vision

Our aim is to deepen public understanding of Islamic histories and thought through the arts, and to support traditional and contemporary artists and artisans across cultures and geographies. We attend to how Islamic arts manifest in everyday life, in religious and civic spaces, studios, and institutions like museums, treating “Islamic art” as a living, complex category to be understood and practiced, but also reimagined—linking practical knowledge with critical discourse.

  • Exploring Islamic Artistic Traditions 

    In our studio, traditional arts are experienced and practiced not merely as passed-down forms, but as spiritual expressions, representational discourses, and philosophical inquiries.

    At the heart of our practice is restoring the “thinking hand,” a spiritual-intellectual connection between the hand and the mind rooted in Islamic traditions of artisanship. This connection offers a vital counterpoint to the disembodied nature of life today, grounding us in a creative process where the sacred and material are inseparable.

  • Bridging Past and Contemporary Directions

    Our studio is grounded in an active dialogue between traditional and contemporary practices. Rather than treating tradition as static, we engage with Islamic artistic legacies as living frameworks—open to reinterpretation, innovation, and critical inquiry. Through immersive events that foreground conversations between different artistic realms, we create spaces where the past and present intersect. These intersections enable us to cultivate new forms of contemporary expression that transcend nostalgic inspirations, inviting reflection on what it means to actively "perform" tradition rather than passively "dwell" in it.

  • Research Pilots for Reimagining Contemporary Spaces

    Looking ahead, we anchor our work in research pilots and experimental projects that focus on how Islamic art and architecture can help us reimagine contemporary spaces. In these pilots, we embrace “slowness” as a mode of inquiry, engaging multiple actors, places, objects, and practices. We are currently focused on three initiatives: creating an Islamic Garden space through its archival history, re-imagining the curation of Islamic Art in Museums, and designing intentional gathering spaces. These pilots bridge research and actionable design, moving beyond academic theorization to reflect on lived experiences and offer real-world implementations.

Artistic traditions are a source of wisdom, connection, and inspiration. They provide us with a tapestry of concepts, vocabularies, and visions to encounter the world through different senses and perspectives.

Art of Illumination tools taken at Seldon Woods Foundation; photography by Dina Rehab

Our Approach

Curating Contemplation is an artistic and spatial framework through which we engage the Islamic intellectual tradition. Rooted in the words: curare, to care, and contemplari, to gaze attentively from a sacred space, Curating Contemplation offers collaborative platforms where art becomes a form of interdisciplinary immersive experience and space a medium for intentional presence.

Studying traditional arts preserves technical mastery and reveals the conceptual frameworks that enrich our worldview.

Photography by Joerg Metzner on behalf of Chicago Cultural Alliance

Pilot Projects

  • Intentional Design

    Curating Gathering Spaces

    We envision Seldon Institute as an intentional gathering space, an artful environment designed and curated for contemplation, collaboration, incubation, and creative exchange. Objects, spatial gestures, and atmospheric elements equally participate in our mission for understanding the term “Islamic.”

  • Islamic Art in the Museum

    Mapping Collections, Tracing Exhibits, and Rethinking Curatorial Visions

    We examine the display cultures of Islamic art in museums worldwide, exploring alternative curatorial visions that place past and present in dialogue, trace the evolution of artistic traditions, incorporate lived experiences, and create environments that foster immersive encounters.

  • Contemplative Garden

    Exploring the Garden within the Garden

    We explore Islamic Garden imaginaries through architectural, pictorial, literary, and botanical traditions, looking into how different intellectual and creative practices manifested ecological sensibilities. The pilot, unfolding as a public-facing platform, lays the collective groundwork for a future garden project at Seldon.

The Art Studio + Design Lab. A place to contemplate, create, and curate.

  • Art Research

  • Workshops

  • Courses

  • Forums

  • Exhibits

Islamic Arts Collaborative

The Collaborative is an artist-led platform where artists specializing in the Islamic arts come together to exchange ideas and resources, showcase their unique artwork, and engage in meaningful discussions on the essence of Islamic art.

From honoring timeless traditions to exploring contemporary expressions, artists are encouraged to share their authentic voices, artistic techniques, and diverse perspectives. This platform empowers artists with knowledge and resources to inspire and be inspired, fostering a vibrant community that celebrates the beauty and significance of Islamic art in all its forms.