As the Sun Appears from Beyond: 20 Years of the Al Burda Award
Exhibition
Saturday, June 14, 2025–Sunday, February 15, 2026
Temporary Exhibitions Gallery
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Step into a world where beauty and meaning intertwine and light becomes a radiant beacon of inspiration.
As the Sun Appears from Beyond celebrates over 20 years of contemporary Islamic art, illuminating its enduring legacy, creativity, and spiritual resonance. Making its North American debut after opening at the 18th Al Burda Award ceremony, which took place at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the exhibition is presented in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Culture.
With more than 60 captivating works from the Al Burda Award collection, placed in dialogue with selections from the Aga Khan Museum Collections, the exhibition showcases classical and contemporary artworks featuring Arabic calligraphy, poetry, and intricate ornamentation — all celebrating Islamic artistic traditions. As the Sun Appears from Beyond: 20 Years of the Al Burda Award invites you to experience Islamic art as a living, evolving form of contemporary expression.
A Journey of Light
Inspired by the Quranic verse, “There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book” (Surat Al-Ma’idah, 5:15), the exhibition traces the journey of divine light — Al-Noor — a theme shared by both the 2024 Al Burda Award and the Museum’s 10th anniversary. From visual art to a captivating poetry listening station, the exhibition illuminates pathways to understanding, renewal, and spiritual connection. It reflects a conversation between the past and the present, offering a captivating experience that bridges the physical and the spiritual.
Global Collaboration
As the Sun Appears from Beyond is the result of a shared commitment to intercultural dialogue and artistic excellence between the Aga Khan Museum and the UAE Ministry of Culture. It was conceived in collaboration with three Emirati art practitioners who were awarded the first Al Burda Grant, a professional capacity-building residency hosted at the Museum. In July 2024, they travelled to Toronto to work closely with the Museum’s curatorial team, reimagining timeless Islamic artistic traditions for a global audience.
About Al Burda
Launched in 2004 by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Culture, Al Burda is an international platform dedicated to fostering creativity and raising global awareness of Islamic art and culture. Inspired by Qasidat Al Burda (Ode of the Mantle), a thirteenth-century poem by Imam Al Busiri in praise of Prophet Mohammed ﷺ, the initiative celebrates the diversity and aesthetic traditions of Islamic art across generations. Al Burda promotes the advancement of Islamic art globally, encouraging innovation and creativity while highlighting the cultural and intellectual diversity of the Islamic world. By supporting the regeneration of traditional art forms through technology, Al Burda provides creatives with opportunities to shape the evolving landscape of Islamic art.
About the Al Burda Award
At the core of Al Burda’s initiatives is the Al Burda Award, which recognizes excellence in ornamentation, poetry, and calligraphy. Over the past two decades, more than 355 poets, calligraphers, and artists have been honored for their contributions to Islamic art. In 2024, Al Burda expanded its scope with the launch of the Al Burda Grant program. This initiative provides financial and institutional support to artists, researchers, and cultural practitioners, encouraging new approaches to traditional Islamic art forms. The grant program reflects Al Burda’s ongoing commitment to artistic innovation and its role in elevating Islamic culture to the global stage.
