“Doris Duke’s Shangri La: Architecture, Landscape, and Islamic Art” showcases objects of Islamic art from the spectacular Honolulu home of philanthropist and art collector Doris Duke (1912-1993) and also includes new works by eight contemporary artists of Islamic background, all of whom have participated in Shangri La’s artist in residency program.
The works from Duke’s personal collection are being shown outside of Shangri La for the first time, in an exhibition that was organized on the centenary of her birth. After travelling nationally for two years, the show ends its journey in the objects’ “home”—Honolulu. Highlights include ceramic vessels and tiles from 11th–20th century Iran; inlaid wood and furniture from Spain, Syria, Iran, and India; Egyptian and Ottoman textiles; and jewelry from Mughal India. Large-scale, newly commissioned photographs by Tim Street-Porter establish the context of the legendary five-acre property of Shangri La. The contemporary works in the exhibition are by Ayad Alkadhi, Zakariya Amataya, Afruz Amighi, Shezad Dawood, Emre Hüner, Walid Raad, Shahzia Sikander and Mohamed Zakariya.
