Islamic Art

Islamic art is the broad body of art coming from the worlds many Muslim cultures. Given that the religion of Islam has been around for over 1400 years and is practiced all over the world, Islamic art covers a diverse range of styles. Despite wide variations in form, some concrete things can be said about Islamic art as a whole. Perhaps the most unique trait of Muslim art is its rejection of images featuring human figures. This principle, which comes from Islamic teachings, is a manifestation of aniconism, the belief that human beings should not be reproduced in art. As such, Islamic art is very often non-representational, meaning it depicts abstract forms rather than recognizable figures or objects. Stemming from this foundational restriction, Islamic artists have come up with countless creative ways over the centuries to conceive and create art in every medium which adheres to Islamic religious doctrine or is otherwise closely bound to Muslim culture. Islamic art is a modern conce...