Collections

Islamic Art Now: Contemporary Art of the Middle East

In recent years, the parameters of Islamic art (particularly as defined by museums, commercial art galleries, and private collections) have expanded to include contemporary works by artists from or with roots in the Middle East. These artists draw inspiration from their own cultural traditions, using techniques and incorporating imagery and ideas from earlier periods. They are not so much reinventing Islamic art as they are repurposing it so that it becomes more clearly a vehicle for personal expression, freed from the constraints of patronage and functionality.

LACMA has only recently begun to acquire contemporary art of the Middle East within the context of our Islamic collection in the belief that the function, strength, and ultimate success and relevance of the collection should not be based solely on exploring this art as a means to better understand the past. The collection can also be seen as a way to build creative links between the past, the present, and the future.