"My hope is that the counterpoint that emerges through Islamic discourses will play against our accustomed melodies of art history, evoking harmonies and dissonances so that we learn to enjoy multiple tunes, from a multitude of worlds, simultaneously. May these perspectives proliferate like lights flashing off the facets of a crystal as it fractures into the deceptively simple intricacy of rainbows" (quoted from the introduction of Professor Wendy Shaw's latest book "What is Islamic art?").
How can we truly appreciate the richness of cultures not our own? In her recent book "What is Islamic art? Between religion and perception", art historian Wendy Shaw explains the need to abandon our vision-centred perception of art and the aesthetic, embarking instead on a multi-sensory voyage of discovery. Interview by Lucy James
