Spotlight: Doris Duke
Image Courtesy of the Artist
Photo Credit: Alfredo Rubio
Image Courtesy of the Artist
Photo Credit: David Franzen
Photo Credit: David Franzen
Photo Credit: David Franzen
Photo Credit: David Franzen
Photo Credit: David Franzen
Photo Credit: David Franzen
You don’t have to travel to Honolulu and book a private tour just to get a peek at Doris Duke’s impressive collection of Islamic artwork and artifacts at her lush, Islamic-style Shangri La estate. (Although, it’s definitely worth the trip just to see the 5-acre property with unobstructed views of the ocean.) Thanks to the LA/Islam Arts Initiative presented by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (or DCA)—along with a partnership with the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Community Foundation, California Institute of the Arts, and the Barnsdall Park Foundation—select pieces from Duke’s collection can be seen as part of two new exhibits: Doris Duke’s Shangri La: Architecture, Landscape, and Islamic Art, and contemporary companion show, Shangri La: Imagined Cities.
On display through December 28th at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, the Doris Duke Shanrgi La exhibit curated by Donald Albrecht and Thomas Mellins features documents, photographs by Tim Street-Porter, and wares from Duke’s private collection (tile panels, jewelry, and ceramics), while Shangri La: Imagined Cities curated by Baghdad–born expert Rijin Sahakian showcases contemporary works by artists including George Awde, Charles Gaines, Adrian Paci, and Mariam Ghani. “Los Angeles is perhaps one of the epicenters of visual constructions regarding Islam and the Middle East, through both its film industry and its large Middle Eastern and Islamic populations,” says Sahakian. “This makes L.A. a ripe environment to examine these narratives and how they are formed, disseminated, and circulated.”
By Jennie Nunn
Pictured: Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art
Photos Courtesy of Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art
