As part of SOAS a gallery and museum dedicated to promoting a better understanding of the art, cultu
The SOAS Gallery as part of SOAS for over 25 years has displayed exhibitions that reflect the many diverse subjects and regions studied by the School being dedicated to promoting a better understanding of the art, culture, history and contemporary contexts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East to a new and wider audience through its programme of changing exhibitions and use of the Schools Collection
s. The inaugural exhibition was held at the Galleries in May 1996 Empire of the Sultans, an exhibition of Ottoman art from the collection of Dr. Nasser D.Khalili subsequent exhibitions covering a wide range of subjects reflecting the Schools areas of study have included:
Chinese textiles; the European experience of Africa and the Middle East; Islamic art traditions; contemporary Israeli art; contemporary art and design from Africa, Asia and the Middle East; Persian paintings; Japanese art; Middle Eastern archaeology; historical Indian photography; Ethiopian 17th century art and architecture; history of the Arabian Peninsula; traditional crafts including Malay wood carving; Chinese ceramics; Egyptian textiles and tapestries; exploring the various medical, spiritual and dietary traditions for well-being from Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist customs; contemporary Middle Eastern art and Indian music traditions amongst many others. In January 2011 the Gallery reached a landmark with its 100th Exhibition Bridge of Knowledge: Western Appreciation of Arab and Islamic Civilisation in the Arcadian Library. Later that year it hosted the first ever major exhibition on the Golden Temple (Harimandir Sahib) of Amritsar and in 2013 the landmark exhibition The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination the first exhibition of its kind to provide a visual narrative of the history of Zoroastrianism. The launch exhibition of SOAS’s own collection Objects of Instruction: Treasures of the School of Oriental and African Studies held in 2007 led to the opening of the Foyle Special Collection Gallery within the Gallery where a selection of the School’s own collection is on rotating display or themed to relate to key temporary exhibitions. The exhibitions shown have provided the first opportunity for many artists, collections and exhibitions, including charity campaigns, to be shown in this country. Further details of these can be found here https://www.soas.ac.uk/gallery/previous/
17/02/2025
Welcome back after Reading Week!
Need a study break? Take a moment to explore our on-campus exhibitions at the SOAS Gallery:
🌍 Stories of Migration – Personal narratives of movement and displacement.
🌈 Batul – A thought-provoking exhibition exploring identity and belonging.
🏺 SOAS Collections – A display of artworks and objects from SOAS’s own collection, spanning Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Plus, don’t forget to visit our Japanese Roof Garden, open whenever the exhibitions are—perfect for a moment of peace between study sessions! 🌿✨
This striking photograph captures Batul during the ceremony—one moment in a deeply personal and powerful story. To see Batul’s full journey unfold, visit the 'Batul' exhibition at SOAS Gallery.
📍 On view now at SOAS Gallery
📅 Don't miss it!
05/02/2025
Now on at SOAS Gallery: Stories of Migration 🌍✈️
This powerful exhibition explores personal journeys of migration through art and storytelling. Featured here are objects used in the creation of animations by PositiveNegatives, an organization that brings real-life migration experiences to life through comics and animation.
Visit the exhibition to see how these stories unfold through visual narratives, personal testimonies, and creative expression. On view now at SOAS Gallery!
📍 Free public entry | SOAS Gallery
📅 Open until 22nd March
01/02/2025
Discover ‘Stories of Migration’ now on at the SOAS Gallery.
As global conversations on migration continue to shape our world, this exhibition offers a vital space to reflect on personal and collective journeys, resilience, and belonging.
📅 16 January – 22 March
🕥 Tuesday – Saturday, 10:30am – 5:00pm
🌙 Late Thursdays until 8:00pm
✨ Meeting Batul: Navigating Multiple Identities in Contemporary India ✨
Join us for a thought-provoking online talk with Batul, a Delhi-based Muslim Indian LGBTQIA+ activist in transition, as she reflects on her powerful personal story and the causes she defends.
This event is part of the ongoing photo exhibition ‘Batul’ currently on display at the SOAS Gallery until the 22 of March 2025. During the conversation, Ondine de Gaulle, the project’s producer, and Paul Mesnager, the photographer behind ‘Batul’, will discuss the inspiration and vision that brought the project to life. Batul will then share her journey of self-discovery and delve into key themes such as q***r history in South Asia, the intersection of q***r and Muslim identities, and their evolving role in contemporary India.
This conversation with Batul will be followed by a Q&A with Dr. Richard Williams, a cultural historian of music in South Asia.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to engage with the narratives behind the exhibition.
16/01/2025
Now Open!
The 'Stories of Migration exhibition' is here! 🌍 Free and open to the public, Tues-Sat, 10:30 AM–5 PM, with late openings on Thursdays (including tonight!) until 8 PM.
14/01/2025
13/01/2025
📸 opening soon: ‘Batul’
Explore the powerful story of Sambhav, a Sikh man from Old Delhi, as he transitions into Batul, a Muslim woman in Kashmir. This stunning photography exhibition and documentary dives into themes of identity, resilience, and societal contradictions in South Asia.
📅 25 Jan – 22 Mar 2025
⏰ 10:30 AM – 5 PM
📍 SOAS Gallery, First Floor Photography Studio
Presented in five intimate chapters, Batul offers a profound look at personal and political intersections through striking visuals and storytelling.
09/01/2025
Opening in ONE WEEK!
Join us at the SOAS Gallery for the ‘Stories of Migration’ exhibition , launching next Tuesday, 16th January. Explore powerful stories and thought-provoking art that challenge perceptions and inspire dialogue.
📚✨ Before Strange Wonders closed, Professor Anna Contadini accompanied her first-year Objects of Art History students on a special tour of the exhibition. Guided by Dr. Katie Hill, the curator, the students engaged with the innovative works of Jizi and other pioneers of contemporary Chinese ink art. 🖌️
🎄 Wishing a very Merry Christmas to all our visitors and students celebrating! 🎄
We hope you enjoy this snowy scene, 'West Gate' by Elizabeth Keith, from the SOAS Collections. Keith, a self-taught artist from Scotland, captured beautiful moments from her travels in Asia. This woodblock print of the Taedong Gate in Pyongyang reflects the fusion of Eastern and Western artistic traditions.
18/12/2024
🚪 We're closed for the season, but we'll be back on 16 January with a new exhibition!
'Stories of Migration' celebrates 12 years of powerful, innovative storytelling by SOAS-based PositiveNegatives, exploring themes of migration through art, animation, and narrative.
Stories of Migration celebrates 12 years of innovative storytelling from SOAS-based, not-for-profit organisation, PositiveNegatives.
14/12/2024
✨ Today’s the Final Day! ✨
It’s your last chance to experience Strange Wonders at SOAS Gallery! Don’t miss Jizi’s Star Secret (2013) and other mesmerizing works before we close for the season. We’ll be back on 16 January with a new exhibition—see you then!
11/12/2024
✨ Last Days to See Strange Wonders! ✨
The Strange Wonders exhibition at SOAS Gallery closes this Saturday! Don’t miss the chance to explore incredible works like Wei Liang’s Green Peacock B (2018), a vibrant blend of ink, acrylic, and paint. Celebrate the beauty and depth of contemporary Chinese ink art with us before it’s gone!
📅 Closes Saturday at SOAS Gallery
07/12/2024
✨ Last Week to See Strange Wonders at SOAS Gallery! ✨
Don’t miss your chance to experience the captivating works of Jizi and the pioneers of contemporary Chinese ink art, including the breathtaking Distant Suns (2010). This is your final week to immerse yourself in these unique visions bridging tradition and innovation. See it before it’s gone!
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Videos
How was Jizi’s long scroll painting ‘The Epic of Nature’ hung on the wall? Watch the behind-the-scenes action in this video!
See this masterpiece and more in 'Strange Wonders: Jizi and Pioneers of Contemporary Ink from China' on display at SOAS Gallery until 14 December.
Exciting things are happening behind the scenes at SOAS Gallery! We’re busy setting up for our upcoming exhibition, 'Strange Wonders', and can't wait to welcome you back when we reopen this Thursday, 10th October. Stay tuned for a sneak peek 👀 and mark your calendars!
Want to explore the exhibition theme in more depth? Join us for a roundtable discussion, Contemporary Chinese Ink Painting and the Persistence of Daoism, on 12th October. Free and open to the public, but make sure to sign up! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/roundtable-discussion-tickets-1028125690617?aff=oddtdtcreator
✨Visit our latest exhibition at the Brunei Gallery!✨
Step into the world of Indian modern art and witness the journey towards cultural independence through the masterpieces of Jamini Roy, Rabindranath Tagore, and Hemen Majumdar. #IndianArt #CulturalIndependence #ArtExhibition #ModernArt #ArtGallery #BruneiGallery #JaminiRoy
Just one week to go until 'Painting Freedom: Indian modernism and its rebels' opens here at the Brunei Gallery! Don't miss out on a chance to explore the beginnings and roots of Indian modern art.🌏🇮🇳
#ModernArt #ArtExhibition #IndianArtist #ArtHistory #MuseumExhibition #India
Happy Ramadan Mubarak to everyone celebrating from us at the Brunei Gallery SOAS!✨
If you're interested in seeing some of our Islamic objects in person, head to the Foyle Gallery at the back of the exhibition space. (It's the blue room - you can't miss it!) 💙 #RamadanMubarak #BruneiGallery #SOAS #IslamicArt #ArtGallery #LondonMuseum #CulturalHeritage
This is the final week to come and view our two exciting exhibitions:
🌏Living Democracy🌏
🏢Building Africa🏢
Don't miss out on the unique experience these exhibitions provide!
#LivingDemocracy #BuildingAfrica #ArtExhibition #MuseumExhibit #CulturalExperience #ExploreCulture
Join a FREE talk on African architecture this Thursday at 5pm! Unpack "sharp power" and China's influence in the Global South, & discover the real impact beyond the buzzwords.🌍📚
Register here ➡️ https://ow.ly/hgg850QyIFk
#AfricanPolitics #GlobalPolitics #LondonEvent #FreeEvent
Celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth with us as we honour the incredible women behind our collections! From artists to donors, these women deserve to have their impact recognised.
Follow us to hear their stories over the next month! 🙌🎉👯♀️ #womeninart #femaleartists #womeninart #femaleartists #womenempowerment #womeninhistory #womeninmuseums #womeninfluence #WomenInCulture
Join us this Thursday to delve into the architecture of Africa's colonial era. Discover how Ghana, Kenya, & South Africa's architectures reflect colonial legacies & shape community memories.
Register here ➡️ https://ow.ly/mTbU50QyHRP
#HistoryTalk #AfricanHeritage #LondonEvent #ColonialArchitecture #AfricanHistory
Discover the politics of African architecture! Join us for an exclusive roundtable with the curators & designers of the Building Africa exhibit. 🏛️
🗓️ March 8th, 5 PM.
Secure your spot here: www.africanstatearchitecture.co.uk/buildingafricalondon #BuildingAfrica #CuratorTalk #MuseumEvent #AfricanPolitics
The Brunei Gallery as part of SOAS for over 20 years has displayed exhibitions that reflect the many diverse subjects and regions studied by the School being dedicated to promoting a better understanding of the art, culture, history and contemporary contexts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East to a new and wider audience through its programme of changing exhibitions and use of the Schools Collections.
The inaugural exhibition was held at the Galleries in May 1996 Empire of the Sultans, an exhibition of Ottoman art from the collection of Dr. Nasser D.Khalili subsequent exhibitions covering a wide range of subjects reflecting the Schools areas of study have included:
Chinese textiles; the European experience of Africa and the Middle East; Islamic art traditions; contemporary Israeli art; contemporary art and design from Africa, Asia and the Middle East; Persian paintings; Japanese art; Middle Eastern archaeology; historical Indian photography; Ethiopian 17th century art and architecture; history of the Arabian Peninsula; traditional crafts including Malay wood carving; Chinese ceramics; Egyptian textiles and tapestries; exploring the various medical, spiritual and dietary traditions for well-being from Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist customs; contemporary Middle Eastern art and Indian music traditions amongst many others.
In January 2011 the Gallery reached a landmark with its 100th Exhibition Bridge of Knowledge: Western Appreciation of Arab and Islamic Civilisation in the Arcadian Library. Later that year it hosted the first ever major exhibition on the Golden Temple (Harimandir Sahib) of Amritsar and in 2013 the landmark exhibition The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination the first exhibition of its kind to provide a visual narrative of the history of Zoroastrianism.
The launch exhibition of SOAS’s own collection Objects of Instruction: Treasures of the School of Oriental and African Studies held in 2007 led to the opening of the Foyle Special Collection Gallery within the Brunei Gallery where a selection of the School’s own collection is on rotating display or themed to relate to key temporary exhibitions.
The exhibitions shown have provided the first opportunity for many artists, collections and exhibitions, including charity campaigns, to be shown in this country. Further details of these can be found here https://www.soas.ac.uk/gallery/previous/
As part of SOAS a gallery and museum dedicated to promoting a better understanding of the art, cultu
