When and how did geometric patterns become so popular—and even characteristic—of Islamic art and design? This lecture will cover the origins of this millennia-old tradition, focusing on the development of geometric designs throughout the Middle East and North Africa’s medieval period. We will also talk about the debates surrounding the meaning of geometric ornament, how its visual complexity can be interpreted, and what it teaches us about the intellectual tradition of Islam’s Golden Age.
Please, note:
- the total duration of the event is 1 hour ( ~ 50mins lecture and 10mins Q&A)
- the talk doesn’t require any prior training and anyone can join
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SPEAKER – LEENA GHANNAM
Leena Ghannam is an art historian, artist, and writer whose work focuses on artistic encounters in the Middle East and North Africa, medieval images and perception, spoliation, museum repatriation, and archeology of urban spaces. In 2025, they graduated from the American University in Cairo with a master’s in Islamic Art and Architecture. They are the Caption Coordinator and Newsletter Editor at the open-access project “Khamseen Islamic Art History Online” at the University of Michigan. Leena has worked as an assistant curator and researcher in collaboration with several institutions and SWANA cultural projects, including the Islamic Arts Biennale in Saudi Arabia (2025), Google Arts and Culture, the Barakat Trust, Megawra (The Built Environment Collective), the Nadim Foundation, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Wayne State University Art Collection. She was also employed as a long-term research assistant for the “Tracing Purple Porphyry” project under the direction of Dr. Linda Gosner.
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