ramadan under the rubble (2024)

Allah is Beautiful and Loves Beauty is an annual art exhibit that takes the “Islam” in Islamic art seriously. We endeavor to curate Islamic art as living spiritual practice in the blessed month of Ramadan around themes that are pertinent to the hearts and minds of Muslims--in that way, we are Muslim and Ummah centered. The faith of the artist is central and the art they share is a manifestation of their relationship with God. In that way, the art is not for the sake of beauty alone, but for the sake of the Most Beautiful Who Loves Beauty, Allah.

This year, the Palestinian cause is at the forefront of the ummah’s (Muslim community) hearts and minds. We are experiencing intense grief and helplessness--there is a reckoning that our donations are not enough, having a seat at the table is not enough, documenting manifest oppression is not enough, formal codification of international human rights and institutions of “justice” are just not enough. We are also building: movements, coalitions, and organizations. We are trying to hold capacious space for the oppressed everywhere: domestically from the South Side of Chicago and the Bronx to internationally in the Congo, Sudan, India and Palestine. In the belly of the imperial beast we are resisting against the systems that keep us in death cycles. For our visual repertoire, we rebel against corporate media and a shift towards democratized grassroots media. We are haunted by social media posts of horror, such as the horrific killing of little Hind Rajab, and the Congolese boy who dragged the body of his mother, and inspired by stories of resilience, such as the unwavering kindness of Uncle Khalid even after he lost “the soul of his soul,” Reem, or the mass Yemeni protests in solidarity with Palestine even after US bombings.

For Ramadan 2024, Allah is Beautiful and Loves Beauty dedicates space for our brothers and sisters under the rubble (in political and artistic solidarity with Jesus Under the Rubble in Bethlehem), weighed down by oppression, and showcases “resistance as spiritual resilience.” We welcome nine artists who have taken up the call for “free Palestine!” as a spiritual call towards liberation everywhere. Artists from other faith traditions are welcome as long as they hold space for Muslim humanity in their art.