"The poem itself is an allegory: a gathering of birds set out on a spiritual quest, each one embodying a particular human flaw or attachment. Passing through seven symbolic valleys, they face trials and moments of revelation, before realising that the divine presence they seek lies within themselves. That sense of pilgrimage carries into the gallery. You are invited to take your own quiet journey through a wide range of avian-themed artworks inspired by the poem, each offering a different response to its ideas."
"The exhibition opens with a delicately constructed piece made from flowers and grasses. While it initially brought to mind corn doilies more than birds, it's a subtle and beautiful way to begin, setting a tone of craft and calm. From there, the show moves fluidly between small bird paintings, vast murals influenced by Islamic art, and finely observed sketches. Some works present birds in still, formal profiles; others capture the energy and rhythm of flight."
Canticle of the Birds at the Aga Khan Centre reimagines the 12th-century Persian poem The Conference of the Birds as a gently immersive gallery experience. The poem's allegory of birds on a spiritual quest, passing seven symbolic valleys to discover the divine within, informs the curatorial tone. The display ranges from delicate floral constructions and small bird paintings to vast Islamic-influenced murals and precise sketches. Moments where avian forms merge with geometric patterns create elegant natural-abstract hybrids. The show integrates several 16th-century loans and older objects, including an early Qur'an paired with a graffiti-style reinterpretation. The space feels cohesive, peaceful, and free to visit daily until the end of May.
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