As the Sun Appears from Beyond: Twenty Years of the Al Burda Award makes its North American debut at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, following its launch at the Louvre Abu Dhabi in December 2024. Presented in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Culture, the exhibition marks a significant cultural partnership shaped by a shared commitment to pluralism, artistic exchange, and cross-cultural dialogue.
Bringing together over 60 contemporary works from the Al Burda Award collection, the exhibition places these pieces in conversation with historical artefacts from the Aga Khan Museum’s permanent Collections. Visitors encounter a layered visual dialogue across centuries and geographies where classical Islamic ornamentation and calligraphy are refracted through the contemporary practices of some of today’s most innovative artists.
The exhibition was developed by the first cohort of Al Burda Fellows – Emirati curators Fatma Mahmoud, Sara bin Safwan, and Shaikha Al Zaabi – whose journey began with a curatorial residency at the Aga Khan Museum in July 2024. Working closely with the Museum’s curatorial team, they shaped the exhibition around the theme of Al-Noor (light), honouring both the 20th anniversary of the Al Burda Award and the Museum’s own 10-year milestone.
Among the many works featured in the exhibition are pieces that exemplify both reverence for Islamic tradition and bold contemporary innovation. The Noble Description (Al Hilya Al Sharifa) (2012) reimagines the classical hilya form, traditionally used to evoke the moral and spiritual presence of the Prophet Muhammad, through a striking circular composition anchored by the Arabic word Al Nabi نبي. In The Abrahamic Prayer (2007), gilded diwani script unfurls like threads of silk, visually enacting the unity invoked in the prayer’s blessing upon Abraham, Muhammad, and their families – an ode to the shared heritage of the Abrahamic faiths.
Offering a bridge to earlier devotional practice, Leaf with Calligraphic Composition presents a Qur’anic quotation – asking God to grant a good entrance into life, a godly exit, and protection throughout – in boat-shaped diwani calligraphy, inscribed on a real leaf whose delicate structure was preserved and gilded to almost ethereal effect. Together, these works reflect the exhibition’s interplay between classical forms and contemporary interpretation, guiding viewers through visual languages of devotion, memory, and beauty.
In addition to visual artworks, the exhibition features an interactive poetry listening station and spaces for reflection. Across media and form, As the Sun Appears from Beyond invites audiences into moments of spiritual connection and aesthetic contemplation, offering an expansive view of the evolving language of Islamic art.
Location: Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Canada
Date: 14 June 2025 to February 2026